Thymic microenvironments for shaping T cell repertoire

2009 Fiscal Year Self-evaluation Report

• Project Area: Immunological Self Recognition and its Disorders
• Project/Area Number: 19059010
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: The University of Tokushima
• Principal Investigator: TAKAHAMA Yousuke The University of Tokushima, 疾患ゲノム研究センター, 教授 (20183858)
• Project Period (FY): 2007 – 2011
• Keywords: 免疫学 / 胸腺 / 自己寛容 / 自己識別 / 生命システム形成

Research Abstract

生体の自己を認識することで個体を防御する免疫システムは、すべての生物の生存維持に不可欠である。なかでも自己と非自己の識別を担当するTリンパ球の抗原認識特異性レパトア確立は、ヒトを含む脊椎動物の生存と健康に必須であり、その不全は自己免疫疾患または免疫不全症につながる。本研究は、Tリンパ球レパトア形成を担う胸腺微小環境の分子本態解明を目的とし、レパトア形成の再構築に基づく免疫疾患の根本的治療法の開発に近づくことを目指している。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Thymoproteasome shapes immunocompetent repertoire of CD8+ T cells. (2010)
  • Author(s): Nitta T, Murata S, Sasaki K, Fujii H, Mat Ripen A, Ishimaru N, Koyasu S, Tanaka K, Takahama Y.
  • Journal Title: Immunity 32 Pages: 29-40
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] CCR7-mediated medulla migration of developing thymocytes is essential for negative selection to tissue-restricted antigens. (2009)
  • Author(s): Nitta T, Nitta S, Lei Y, Lipp M, Takahama Y
  • Journal Title: Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106 Pages: 17129-17133
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The cytokine RANKL produced by positively selected thymocytes fosters medullary thymic epithelial cells that express autoimmune regulator. (2008)
  • Author(s): Hikosaka Y, Nitta T, Ohigashi I, Yano K, Ishimaru N, Hayashi Y, Matsumoto M, Matsuo K, Penninger JM, Takayanagi H, Yokota Y, Yamada H, Yoshikai Y, Inoue J, Akiyama T, Takahama Y.
  • Journal Title: Immunity 29 Pages: 438-450
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The tumor necrosis factor family receptors RANK and CD40 cooperatively establish the thymic medullary microenvironment and self-tolerance. (2008)
  • Author(s): Akiyama T, Shimo Y, Yanai H, Qin J, Ohshima, D, Maruyama Y, Asaumi Y, Kitazawa J, Takayanagi H, Penninger JM, Matsumoto M, Nitta T, Takahama Y, Inoue J.
  • Journal Title: Immunity. 29 Pages: 423-437
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] The chemokine system in the construction and function of the thymus. (2008)
  • Author(s): Takahama Y.
  • Organizer: Keystone Symposia
  • Place of Presentation: デンバー
  • Year and Date: 2008-01-14
• [Book] Systems Biology: The Challenge of Complexity(Toward understanding how the immune system establishes a diverse yet self-tolerant T-cell repertoire: stepwise roles of thymic microenvironments.) (2009)
  • Author(s): Nitta T, Takahama Y., Nakanishi S, Kageyama R, Watanabe D.
  • Total Pages: 71-82
  • Publisher: Springer
• [Remarks]
  • URL: http://www.genome.tokushima-u.ac.jp/dei
• [Patent(Industrial Property Rights)] Method of acquiring immunological tolerance (2010)
  • Inventor(s): Takahama Y.
  • Industrial Property Rights Holder: Takahama Y, JST.
  • Industrial Property Number: U.S. Patent・7671250 B2
  • Acquisition Date: 2010-03-02
• [Patent(Industrial Property Rights)] 蛍光集団の評価装置、コンピュータ実行可能な蛍光集団の評価プログラム、及び蛍光集団の評価システム (2008)
  • Inventor(s): 高浜洋介、新田剛、中野義太郎
  • Industrial Property Rights Holder: (株)ニコン、徳島大学
  • Industrial Property Number: 特許出願・2008-179765
  • Filing Date: 2008-07-10