The development of immunosuppressive treatment to organ-specific autoantigens in autoimmune diseases induced by unknown autoantigens

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25461499
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Collagenous pathology/Allergology
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: HIRATA Shinya 熊本大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (60418829)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 自己免疫疾患 / 組織抗原特異的免疫抑制 / 樹状細胞 / 制御性T細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It is desirable to develop a therapeutic means to down-modulate immune responses in an antigen-specific manner without causing systemic immune suppression. In the present study, we found that the severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced by myelin autoantigen, myelin basic protein (MBP), was also decreased after treatment with genetically modified embryonic stem cell-derived dendritic cells (ES-DC) presenting another myelin autoantigen, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) peptide, and simultaneously expressing TRAIL (ES-DC-TRAIL/MOG). This preventive effect was related to regulatory T cells (Treg). For the treatment of organ-specific autoimmune diseases, induction of Treg reactive to the organ-specific autoantigens by the transfer of DC-presenting antigens and simultaneously overexpressing TRAIL therefore appears to be a promising strategy.

Free Research Field

臨床免疫