Roles of epithelial cells and dendritic cells in Th17 cell-mediated airway inflammation

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24390207
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Respiratory organ internal medicine
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAJIMA HIROSHI 千葉大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (00322024)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): HIROSE Koichi 千葉大学, 大学院医学研究院, 准教授 (90400887) ; SUTO Akira 千葉大学, 大学院医学研究院, 特任准教授 (50447306) ; SUZUKI Kotaro 千葉大学, 医学部附属病院, 講師 (90554634) ; TAKATORI Hiroaki 千葉大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (30568225)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 気管支喘息 / Dectin / Th17細胞 / Sox5

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The fact that sensitization against fungi and Th17 cell induction are closely related to the severity of asthma suggests that immune systems recognizing fungi are involved in the pathogenesis of severe asthma. Our objectives were 1) to determine the roles of Dectin-2, a C-type lectin receptor functions as not only a pattern recognition receptor for fungi but also a receptor for some components of house dust mite (HDM) extract, in HDM-induced allergic airway inflammation and 2) to examine the roles of Sox5, a member of the SOX (SRY-related high-mobility-group (HMG)-box) family of transcription factors which is expressed in Th17 cells, in Th17 cell differentiation. We found 1) Dectin-2 expressed on CD11b+ DCs promotes HDM-induced Th2 and Th17 cell differentiation and allergic airway inflammation and 2) Sox5 along with c-Maf induces RORγt expression and subsequent Th17 cell differentiation as downstream targets of IL-6-Stat3 pathways.

Free Research Field

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