Screening of thrapy of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using iPS cell

• Project/Area Number: 25860705
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurology
• Research Institution: Gifu University
• Principal Investigator: YAMADA Megumi 岐阜大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 講師 (50452157)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2014)
• Budget Amount: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
• Keywords: 筋萎縮性側索硬化症 / iPS細胞 / 歯髄細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease in which motor neurons in the entire body selectively and gradually degenerate and are displaced. Recently, efforts have been made to generate induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from ALS patients and to induce differentiation of iPS cells into patient-derived motor neurons. In this study, we aimed to develop a system for inducing differentiation of iPS cells derived from ALS patients into motor neurons and to establish a screening system for therapeutic agents.
Dental pulp cells were obtained from dental pulps of healthy volunteers and patients with sporadic ALS. From the stem cells in the dental pulp tissue of an ALS patient, iPS cells were generated and confirmed to have differentiated into 3 germ layers. Furthermore, a system for inducing differentiation of iPS cells into motor neurons was developed. We are still exploring strategies to stabilize the system.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Evaluation of SLC20A2 mutations that cause idiopathic basal ganglia calcification in Japan. (2014)
  • Author(s): Yamada, M., M. Tanaka, M. Takagi, S. Kobayashi, Y. Taguchi, S. Takashima, K. Tanaka, T. Touge, H. Hatsuta, S. Murayama, Y. Hayashi, M. Kaneko, H. Ishiura, J. Mitsui, N. Atsuta, G. Sobue, N. Shimozawa, T. Inuzuka, S. Tsuji and I. Hozumi
  • Journal Title: Neurology Volume: 82 Issue: 8 Pages: 705-712
  • DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000000143
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] High frequency of calcification in basal ganglia on brain computed tomography images in Japanese older adults (2013)
  • Author(s): Megumi Yamada, Asano T, Okamoto K, Hayashi Y, Kanematsu M, Hoshi H, Akaiwa Y, Shimohata T, Nishizawa M, Inuzuka T, Hozumi I
  • Journal Title: Geriatr Gerontol Int Volume: 13 Issue: 3 Pages: 706-710
  • DOI: 10.1111/ggi.12004
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] 頭部CT検査による海馬石灰化に関する臨床的検討 (2013)
  • Author(s): 山田 恵、林 祐一、浅野隆彦、保住 功、犬塚 貴
  • Organizer: 第54回日本神経学会学術大会
  • Place of Presentation: 東京国際フォーラム