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The Immunology Regulation Group and Fukuoka University have successfully controlled early graft loss of syngeneic transplanted islets through the regulation of NKT cells, a type of lymphocyte.
Islet transplantation is a promising treatment to achieve insulin-independence in diabetes mellitus patients. However, therapeutic effect is not possible with a single treatment, as most of the transplanted cells are rejected within hours, even with the use of immunosuppressants.
This research found that neutrophil-production of interferon-gamma that triggers early graft loss were activated by NKT cells. Moreover, the results showed that this early graft loss could be prevented through the pretransplant administration of a glycolipid ligand, a-galactosylceramide that selectively activates NKT cells, thereby inhibiting their function.
The results were published in the U.S. science journal The Journal of Experimental Medicine on October 3, 2005.