Identification of the therapeutic target in the early phase of development of systemic sclerosis related organ involvement

Research Project

Project/Area Number	16K09909
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Research Field	Collagenous pathology/Allergology
Research Institution	Nippon Medical School
Principal Investigator	Shirai Yuichiro 日本医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (70528801)
Project Period (FY)	2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
Budget Amount *help	¥4,550,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,050,000) Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000) Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000) Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
Keywords	強皮症 / 血管病変 / 内科 / 線維化
Outline of Final Research Achievements	We aimed to investigate to identify the target protein at the early developing phase of organ involvement in patients of systemic sclerosis. Plasma PTX3 level was significantly increased in the order of stage of vascular involvement and highest in critical limb ischemia patients. Elevation of PTX3 level preceded the development of vascular involvement and subsequently the number of endothelial progenitor cells in peripheral circulation decreased resulting in elevation of angiogenic factors FGF2 level after development. It was suggested that PTX3 can be a biomarker in the early phrase of vascular involvement.
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	本研究ではPTX3が強皮症血管病変の最も初期から変動する分子の一つであることが明らかになった。強皮症血管病変は難治性であり、血管拡張薬を投与しても指肢切断を余儀なくされる場合も少なくない。その場合、本人のQOLだけでなく、医療費や介護負担など社会的コストもかかる。PTX3を標的とした治療法を開発することで、進展度を軽減できる可能性を秘めており、さらに血管生物学の進歩の一助にもなりうる。