2019/06/13
Faculty of Pharmacy, Keio University
In a joint study with Hokkaido University, Keio University has discovered specialized cells that are responsible for taking in foreign substances inhaled through respiration. This achievement is the result of a research group led by Associate Professor Shunsuke Kimura and Professor Koji Hase of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Keio University; Senior Lecturer Makoto Ishii of the School of Medicine, Keio University; and Dr. Mami Muto and Academic Researcher Meri Hisamoto of the Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University.
The respiratory mucosa is constantly exposed to airborne pollen, dust, and microorganisms. Our bodies protect us by recognizing these fine particles and activating the immune system, but sometimes this response is excessive, leading to allergies. However, the mechanism by which the body's immune system takes in foreign substances that have entered the respiratory tract was unknown. The research group has now discovered that cells called M cells exist in the trachea and bronchi of mice and that they take in foreign substances present in the respiratory mucosa. They also revealed that these respiratory M cells are present in the lesions of various respiratory diseases, such as in mouse models of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Furthermore, the group identified a factor essential for inducing the differentiation of respiratory M cells, which has enabled them to successfully culture these cells in vitro.
This study clarifies the pathway by which antigens and microorganisms enter the body in respiratory allergies and infections, which will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms behind the onset and exacerbation of respiratory diseases. In the future, controlling antigen uptake by respiratory M cells is expected to lead to the development of new preventive and therapeutic methods and other clinical applications. The results of this research were published in the online edition of the international academic journal "Frontiers in Immunology" on June 11, 2019 (US Eastern Time).
Please see below for the full press release.