A development of two-photon peripheral neuroimaging and neural recording in tissue

• Project/Area Number: 20K21897
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 90:Biomedical engineering and related fields
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Kamiya Atsunori 岡山大学, 医歯薬学域, 教授 (30324370)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2022-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2021)
• Budget Amount: ¥6,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,500,000); Fiscal Year 2021: ¥3,250,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥750,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥3,250,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥750,000)
• Keywords: 自律神経 / 末梢神経 / 神経

Outline of Research at the Start

本研究は、従来の神経計測法（体外培養下や臓器外における記録等）では決して分かり得ない、臓器組織の内部における神経線維終末の動態（生体情報の感知, 細胞機能の調節）という未開の領域を、独自の先端的神経計測技術（生動物２光子末梢神経イメージング, MEMS神経マイクロマシン）によってリアルタイムに計測し解明することを目指す。がん組織や胸腹部臓器に分布する末梢神経を対象として、実施する。

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The autonomic nerves are cables, that connect the brain with organs. They transmit command signals to individual organs and regulate their functions. In the present study, we have developed a new method to record individual nerve fiber activities and visualize neural dynamics in organs, and actually observed cellular-level autonomic neural structure and dynamics, which is difficult to be measured by existing methods. In addition, we also observed autonomic nerve innervations into cancer microenvironment.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

自律神経系は、曖昧に捉えられがちですが、本研究では、自律神経系を、個々の神経細胞レベルで、自律神経を実体のあるものとして捉えました。自律神経系は、健康や生命を維持する役割を担い、病態とも深く関わります。従って、本研究で開発した、自律神経線維の活動を解析する方法は、健康を支える自律神経の働きをより深く理解したり、様々な病気の仕組み（病態生理）を解明する上においても、役に立つように期待されます。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Differentiated glioblastoma cells accelerate tumor progression by shaping the tumor microenvironment via CCN1-mediated macrophage infiltration (2021)
  • Author(s): Uneda A, Kurozumi K, Fujimura A, Fujii K, Ishida J, Shimazu Y, Otani Y, Tomita Y, Hattori Y, Matsumoto Y, Tsuboi N, Makino K, Hirano S, Kamiya A, Date I.
  • Journal Title: Acta Neuropathol Commun. Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Pages: 29-29
  • DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01124-7
  • NAID: 120006995391
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Adrenergic signaling promotes the expansion of cancer stem-like cells of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (2021)
  • Author(s): Huang R, Fujimura A, Nakata E, Takihira S, Inoue H, Yoshikawa S, Hiyama T, Ozaki T, Kamiya A.
  • Journal Title: Biochem Biophys Res Commun. Volume: 557 Pages: 199-205
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.03.172
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research