Molecular regulation of chronic inflammatory disease by a novel chemokine-receptor associating protein FROUNT

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26860317
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Immunology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: TODA Etsuko 東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科(医学部), 特任助教 (00589327)
• Research Collaborator: TERASHIMA Yuya ; NANKI Toshihiro
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: ケモカイン / ケモカイン受容体 / 慢性炎症性疾患 / 関節リウマチ / FROUNT

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Chemokines and chemokine receptors play important roles in the recruitment of leukocytes to inflammation sites in inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis. In this study, we investigated the role of FROUNT, an up-regulator of chemokine signaling, in the onset and progression of rheumatoid arthritis. FROUNT deficient mice exhibited decreases in the rate of onset and severity of collagen-induced arthritis. Our data suggest that FROUNT is involved in both immune response to collagen and inflammatory phase in the disease course of arthritis. FROUNT-deficient mice exhibited decreases in a subset of macrophages and Th17 subset and increases in Treg subset in CD4 T cell population. Thus, a chemokine signal up-regulator FROUNT has turned out to be a promising target for rheumatoid arthritis to lessen arthritis-related immune response and inflammation.

Free Research Field

免疫生物学