Elucidation of OPG-RANKL-TRAIL system in the process of abdominal aortic aneurysm progression

• Project/Area Number: 15K09155
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cardiovascular medicine
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Miyake Takshi 大阪大学, 医学系研究科, 寄附講座准教授 (40219746)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 森下 竜一 大阪大学, 医学系研究科, 寄附講座教授 (40291439)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,810,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,110,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
• Keywords: 腹部大動脈瘤 / 石灰化 / 炎症 / 大動脈瘤 / 血管石灰化 / Osteoprotegerin / 転写因子 / RANKL

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study is to investigate vascular calcification and its influence on changes in vascular inflammation in the process of aneurysm formation. Deletion of osteoprotegerin increased the severity of CaCl2-induced mouse abdominal aortic aneurysms. Both osteogenic and inflammatory factors were increased in the aneurysm wall, and vascular calcification is thought to influence vascular inflammation. Inhibition of Runx2 or NFκB using nucleic acid drug, decoy oligodeoxynucleotide, in the aneurysm wall protected AAA formation. This therapeutic approach might be useful to treat AAA.