MU cells in mammalian conjunctiva

描述：(申请人摘要)M细胞(膜上皮细胞) 大多数粘膜免疫感受现象的基本参与者。 具有M细胞独特形态和生理表型的细胞 在黏膜相关淋巴组织上皮细胞中发现 在肠道、支气管、鼻腔和扁桃体。M细胞启动粘膜 免疫事件通过优先结合和移位可溶性和 颗粒抗原穿过表面上皮细胞并运送捕获的 抗原递送到潜在的抗原呈递细胞。与卵泡相关的 哺乳动物结膜上皮细胞形态明显。 与肠道M细胞相似，但缺乏关于这些细胞能力的数据 用来运输抗原或病原体的细胞让一些研究人员质疑 它们在结膜中的存在。我们已经确定了一种创新的方法 在这种情况下，减弱的志贺氏菌株选择性结合的天然能力 和跨M细胞的转移可以用来明确地证明 结膜含有功能齐全的M细胞。将有多个物种 检查以确定哺乳动物结膜中M细胞的普遍存在。这个 老化对M细胞形态和功能的影响也将被研究。我们 将寻求证明眼睛免疫是产生局部疾病的最佳方案 通过比较眼部局部用药和用药后的免疫反应进行粘膜免疫 用M细胞靶向免疫原鼻腔免疫。证明了 有M细胞可以在结膜内采集抗原 眼免疫学对日益增长的机体的靶向研究 粘膜疫苗。我们的长期目标包括设计有针对性的M-cell 开发针对常见眼部病原体的眼睛免疫疫苗，如 沙眼衣原体。结膜M细胞的识别也将奠定 为未来研究检查机会性细菌或 病毒病原体利用M细胞作为进入部位，跨越粘膜屏障。 眼睛。

DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Abstract) M cells (membranous epithelial cells) are essential participants in immunological receptivity phenomena of most mucosae. Cells with the distinctive morphological and physiological phenotype of M cells have been found in the epithelium overlying mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue in the intestine, bronchi, nasal cavity, and tonsils. M cells initiate mucosal immune events by preferentially binding and translocating soluble and particulate antigens across the surface epithelium and delivering captured antigens to underlying antigenpresenting cells. The follicle-associated epithelium in the mammalian conjunctiva has cells with striking morphological similarity to intestinal M cells but a lack of data on the ability of these cells to transport antigens or pathogens has led some investigators to question their existence in the conjunctiva. We have identified an innovative approach in which an attenuated Shigella strain's natural ability to selectively bind and translocate across M cells can be used to unequivocally demonstrate that the conjunctiva contains fully functional M cells. Multiple species will be examined to establish the ubiquity of M cells in the mammalian conjunctiva. The effect of aging on M cell morphology and function will be also investigated. We will seek to demonstrate ocular immunization is optimal for generating local mucosal immunity by comparing the immune response to ocular topical and intra-nasal immunization with an M-cell targeted immunogen. Demonstration that there are M cells capable of antigen sampling in the conjunctiva will link ocular immunology to the growing body of research concerned with targeted mucosal vaccines. Our long-term goals include designing M-cell targeted vaccines to develop ocular immunity against common ocular pathogens such as Chlamydia trachomatis. Recognition of conjunctival M cells would also lay the foundation for future studies examining whether opportunistic bacterial or viral pathogens use the M cell as an entry site to cross the mucosal barrier in the eye.