Elucidation of general principles for limb regeneration and perfect skin regeneration

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H04790
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Developmental biology
• Research Institution: Hirosaki University
• Principal Investigator: Yokoyama Hitoshi 弘前大学, 農学生命科学部, 准教授 (90455816)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 再生 / 四肢 / 皮膚 / 両生類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Xenopus, a model amphibian, forms a regeneration blastema after limb amputation and then regenerates a limb at last. Xenopus also regenerates skin almost completely after a deep skin injury extent to dermis without forming a scar. We labeled subcutaneous tissues with GFP and indicated that blastema-like cells derived from subcutaneous tissues migrate to the wound and then contribute to skin regeneration. Then, collaborators and I revealed that an Iberian ribbed newt also regenerates skin after deep injury. Furthermore, we identified some groups of genes which are commonly expressed both in limb regeneration and skin regeneration by RNA-seq analysis in Xenupus.

Free Research Field

再生生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ヒト（哺乳類）の場合は四肢を再生できないのはもちろん、皮膚が真皮まで傷ついた際にも再生できず、瘢痕を形成して傷口をふさぐ。瘢痕は元の皮膚の機能を代替できない上に外見も損なうため、瘢痕を残さない皮膚再生の実現が強く望まれている。皮膚を再生する両生類において再生に寄与する細胞が皮下から移動してくるという発見は、皮膚再生のメカニズムの解明と四肢再生との共通性の解明の両方において大きな意義を持つ。本研究でなされた四肢再生と皮膚再生での共通性の解明は、瘢痕のない皮膚再生を将来哺乳類で実現し、更にそこから四肢再生へのステップアップを目指す上での重要な指針になる。