Elucidation of the antigen-presenting mechanism of gold nanoparticles functioning as antibody-producing carriers

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25650042
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Functional biochemistry
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: ISHII NORIYUKI 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, バイオメディカル研究部門, 主任研究員 (10261174)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 免疫生化学 / 抗ハプテン抗体 / 金ナノ微粒子担体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In vivo production of anti-hapten antibody has been confirmed previously by the use of gold nanoparticles capped with small chemical substances as a starting point. The present molecular and cellular level study concludes that the gold nanoparticles bound to the chemical substances as an immunogen are at first, engulfed by macrophages and dendritic cells, and then intracellularly digested in the cytoplasm due to its reduced condition. The immunogen is then transported from early endosome through multivesicular body, and is released into the extracellular in the form that is contained in exosomes. It is proper to consider such exosomes activate B-cells. The MHC molecules are known to exist in the exosomes released from dendritic cells, but not detected thus far in the exosomes from macrophages. Very little is currently known about whether the information of the immunogen is delivered from macrophages or dendritic cells, so it is hoped that future research will clarify this point.

Free Research Field

生物物理学