Function of exosomes in bacterial infection

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K15449
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Biological pharmacy
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: YOSHIDA Takeshi 金沢大学, ナノ生命科学研究所, 特任助教 (60635100)
• Research Collaborator: Diez Diego
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: エクソソーム / 炎症 / マクロファージ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we had studied about functions of nano-sized vesicles including exosomes secreted from immune cells in bacterial infection. In the early stage of inflammation, we found that exosomes were secreted from neutrophils, were up taken by macrophages and decreased tissue injury. Furthermore, we revealed that some kinds of heat shock proteins in the exosomes have a function to induce inflammatory signals in macrophages. As a result from an anti-tumor study of the neutrophil exosomes, it was revealed that the exosomes enhance the phagocytosis activity of cancer cells in macrophages and caused the anti-tumor effect.

Free Research Field

免疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

感染症における細胞外小胞の機能は依然として未解明な部分が多い。本研究では、細胞外小胞が免疫応答を活性化することで細菌の除去につながることを分子レベルで解明しており、細胞外小胞の機能の理解を深めることにつながった。さらに、この免疫応答が感染症だけでなく腫瘍に対しても有効であることを示した。本研究で得られた知見は、感染症やがんに対する新たな作用機序をもつ薬の開発につながると期待される。