Establishment of a novel therapeutic method for multiple sclerosis via plasmablasts

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26860262
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Experimental pathology
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Matsumoto Masanori 大阪大学, 免疫学フロンティア研究センター, 特任助教 (50542106)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 多発性硬化症 / IL-10 / plasmablast

Outline of Final Research Achievements

B cells can suppress experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, by secreting an anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10. However, whether human plasmablasts can also serve as predominant IL-10 producers remains unknown. By culturing peripheral blood B cells derived from healthy donors in vitro, we found that plasmablasts predominantly produced IL-10 and that their IL-10 production was mediated by activation of IRF4 and NFAT. Thus, these results suggest that human plasmablasts can serve as IL-10 producers to suppress multiple sclerosis.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学