Study of the therapeutic agent for the treatment of highly pathogenic influenza

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25670465
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Infectious disease medicine
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: MORISHIMA Tsuneo 岡山大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 特命教授 (90157892)
• Research Collaborator: FUJI Yousuke 岡山大学, 大学院医歯薬学総合研究科小児急性疾患学講座, 助教 (80549775) ; TSUGE Mitsuru 松山赤十字病院, 小児科 (80625004)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: インフルエンザ / 肺炎 / HMGB-1 / チオレドキシン / H5N1 / 脳症 / AH7N9

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The discovery of a novel anti-influenza therapeutic approach would increase the effectiveness of traditional virus-based strategies. This study was undertaken to evaluate the therapeutic effects of anti-high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment for influenza A virus (H1N1)-induced pneumonia in mice.Anti-HMGB1 mAb significantly improved the survival rate of H1N1-inoculated mice. The treatment also significantly attenuated histological changes and neutrophil infiltration in the lung of H1N1-inoculated mice; which was associated with inhibition of HMGB1 and suppression of inflammatory cytokine/chemokine expression and oxidative stress enhancement, which were observed in H1N1-inoculated mice. Anti-HMGB1 mAb may provide a novel and effective pharmacological strategy for severe influenza virus infection in humans by reducing the inflammatory responses induced by HMGB1.

Free Research Field

小児医科学、感染症学