Basic study of liver regenerative therapy by autologous bone marrow cells and growth factors of hepatic stem cells

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K08983
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Gastroenterology
• Research Institution: Yamagata University
• Principal Investigator: Saito Takafumi 山形大学, 医学部, 教授 (80250918)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 肝再生 / 骨髄細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been shown that fibroblast growth factor 2（FGF2）and epiregulin are important as the hepatic stem-cell growth factors produced in rat bone marrow cells. This study showed that epiregulin is detected in the stem-cell niche which includes liver progenitor cells around pseudo-bile ducts, and that it helps both differentiation and proliferation of liver progenitor cells into liver cells in the mouse liver injury model. The serum epiregulin level measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in patients with various liver diseases showed a high level in cases of acute liver failure including fulminant hepatitis, which suggests that it helps liver regeneration associated with liver progenitor cells. These results suggest that bone marrow cells play a role in part in liver regeneration in severe liver injury through epiregulin.

Free Research Field

消化器内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

肝臓の再生治療法として、肝臓移植の他に自己骨髄細胞を用いた細胞療法の有効性が示されている。骨髄細胞からは肝臓組織内で肝幹細胞を肝細胞へと分化・増殖させる因子が産生されており、これらの詳細を明らかにすることで、骨髄細胞を用いた肝臓再生療法の発展に寄与することできる。骨髄細胞による障害肝の再生機序の一端として、骨髄細胞が産生する液性因子のepiregulinが肝前駆細胞の分化や増殖を促している可能性が示唆された。今後の肝再生治療の発展に益する知見である。