MAIT cells in bacterial infection

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H03565
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Laboratory animal science
• Research Institution: Dokkyo Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Sugimoto Chie 獨協医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (60469955)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 若尾 宏 獨協医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (10280950)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 自然免疫型T細胞 / モデル動物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cell is a novel innate like T cell which play a role in bacterial infection. Although MAIT cells are very abundant in humans, there is no suitable animal model for studying MAIT cells due to a very low frequency in laboratory mice. We have established induced pluripotent stem cells derived from mouse MAIT cells in lungs (MAIT-iPSCs) and redifferentiated MAIT cells (m-reMAIT cells). m-reMAIT cells were activated by a vitamin B2 metabolite and bacterial bodies and released various cytokines and chemokines. Further, we have created novel mouse models: m-reMAIT cell adoptive transfer model and MAIT mice established through the intermediary chimeric mice derived from MAIT-iPSCs. Vα19 mice, one of strains of MAIT mice, possessed thousands of times more MAIT cells than wild-type mice, and protected early growth of Mycobacterium bovis BCG in liver.

Free Research Field

感染免疫

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

MAIT細胞は細菌感染だけでなく、がん・代謝性疾患・自己免疫性疾患など多くのヒト疾患の病態に関与することが世界各地の研究者から報告されている。特にMAIT細胞はヒトのT細胞の数パーセント、組織によっては数10パーセントを締める細胞であるがその機能の全容は明らかにされていない。さらに、基礎免疫学における汎用動物モデルであるマウスにはMAIT細胞がごくわずかにしか存在しない。本研究で構築した新規マウスモデルはMAIT細胞が関与する数々の疾患に対する動物モデルの作製に役立ち、それらの疾患の病態解明と新規治療法の確率に貢献できる技術である。