Comprehensive analysis of immune response in hapatitis B using novel disease mouse model

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25460991
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Gastroenterology
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Takahashi Ken 京都大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (60594372)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: ウイルス肝炎 / 免疫学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Deeper understanding of the immunopathogenesis of hepatitis B is needed to develop an effective therapy for terminating HBV infection. The aim of this study was to gain comprehensive insight into the immune response to HBV at the transcriptional level. Highly sensitive transcriptome analysis of newly developed HBV model mouse in which HBs antigen is expressed in a liver-specific and time-controlled manner showed that immunological status of inflamed liver was Th1-biased but concomitantly immunosuppressive. The unexpected upregulation of co-inhibitory genes observed in our model implies that adaptive immunity against HBV is regulated by the balance between stimulatory and inhibitory forces as early as the acute phase of infection. In another series of experiments, transcriptome analysis of HBV-infected cells was also performed. The results showed that HBV does not induce a measurable innate immune response in the hepatocytes.

Free Research Field

肝臓病学