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ADDRESS

JST-CREST
Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University

2-2, Yamada-oka Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan

TEL:81-6-6879-3880
FAX:81-6-6879-3889

Masaaki Murakami D.V.M. Ph.D.

E-mail: murakami@molonc.
med.osaka-u.ac.jp

Achievements

Regional neural activation defines a gateway for autoreactive T cells to cross the blood-brain barrier

Although it is believed that neural activations can affect immune responses, very little is known about the neuro-immune interactions involved, especially the key regulators for immune signals to reach from the blood to the CNS. We here describe dorsal blood vessels in the 5th lumbar-cord that show excess chemokine levels in a manner dependent on regional neural activations of the soleus-muscle. These responses appear to act as a gate for blood cell populations including immune cells to enter the CNS. This gate can promote pathogenic T cells inflammatory inflow, which risks autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. Therefore, these regional neuro-immune interactions may offer new therapeutic targets for neurological diseases.

Arima Y., M. Harada, D. Kamimura, J-H. Park, F. Kawano, F. E. Yull, T. Kawamoto, Y. Iwakura, U.A.K. Betz, G. Márquez, T. S. Blackwell, Y. Ohira, T. Hirano, and M. Murakami.
Regional Neural Activation Defines a Gateway for Autoreactive T Cells to Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier.
Cell. 148: 447-457, 2012 (Cell) (PubMed) (Cell Previews)

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Schematic figure of neural activation-induced pathogenic T cell accumulation in the CNS. Neural activation-mediated "Inflammation amplifier" enhancement in endothelial cells of dorsal blood vessels in the 5th lumbar cord induces CCL20 followed by the accumulation of pathogenic Th17 cells, a critical event for the development of EAE.

 

 

 

 

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