Development of novel diagnostics and treatment for spinal cord injury using blood concentration of phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain

• Project/Area Number: 26850193
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Veterinary medical science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Fujiwara Reina 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 特任助教 (60456176)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2016)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,030,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥930,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
• Keywords: 脊髄損傷 / バイオマーカー / グリア線維性産生タンパク（GFAP） / ニューロフィラメント重鎖（pNF-H） / リン酸化ニューロフィラメント重鎖

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In dogs with spinal cord injury, the blood concentration of pNF-H increased within a week after the onset and the value can be a promising biomarker to evaluate the prognosis after spinal cord injury. On the other hand, in acute phase, GFAP showed good specificity as a prognostic factor. Analysis of in vivo pNF-H kinetics revealed elimination half-life of pNF-H was estimated to 190 min. In conclusion, interventions have little influence on serum pNF-H and the time-course changes in serum pNF-H indicate the simultaneous pNF-H leakage from damaged spinal cord in the process of injury or restoration. This result suggested that evaluating blood concentration of pNF-H after spinal cord injury can offer good information to decide post-surgical care and rehabilitative therapy. We are also uniquely developing ELISA system to detect canine pNF-H in blood to use in daily clinics.

Research Products

• [Presentation] 犬の胸腰部椎間板ヘルニア症例におけるリン酸化ニューロフィラメント重鎖およびグリア線維性酸性タンパクの血中濃度変化と診断的意義 (2016)
  • Author(s): 藤田直己、藤原玲奈、三ヶ島史人、西田英高、早川健太郎、飯塚智也、田中宏、中山正成、諸角元二、本阿彌宗紀、望月学、緒方徹、西村亮平
  • Organizer: 第42回獣医神経病学会
  • Place of Presentation: 奈良春日野国際フォーラム 甍～I・RA・KA～（奈良県奈良市）
  • Year and Date: 2016-07-16
• [Presentation] Assessment of serum phosphorylated neurofilament subunit NF-H and glial fibrillary acidic protein as biomarkers for evaluating the severity of spinal cord injury after thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation in dogs (2015)
  • Author(s): Naoki Fujita, Reina Fujiwara, Fumito Mikashima, Ryu Youngjae, Onishi Yumi, Hinako Yamazoe, Motoji Morozumi, Hidetaka Nishida, Hiroshi Tanaka, Masanari Nakyama, Kentaro Hayakawa, Toru Ogata, Rhohei Nishimura
  • Organizer: American College of Veterinary Surgeons Surgery Summit
  • Place of Presentation: Nashville, TN, USA
  • Year and Date: 2015-10-22
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] In vivo kinetics of phosphorylted neurofilaments heavy chain indogs and clinical implication (2014)
  • Author(s): 藤田直己、三ヶ島史人、飯塚智也、藤原玲奈、緒方徹、西村亮平
  • Organizer: Asian Meeting of Veterinary Surgery
  • Place of Presentation: 大阪
  • Year and Date: 2014-12-06 – 2014-12-07
• [Remarks] 東京大学獣医外科学教室HP
  • URL: http://www.vm.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp/geka/