Histological study on the development of nervous, musculoskeletal, and visceral systems using human embryos and fetuses

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K08435
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General anatomy (including histology/embryology)
• Research Institution: Akita University
• Principal Investigator: ABE Hiroshi 秋田大学, 名誉教授, 名誉教授 (40151104)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 鈴木 良地 秋田大学, 医学系研究科, 准教授 (20396550)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ヒト胚子 / ヒト胎児 / 連続切片 / 内臓系 / 運動器系 / 神経感覚器系 / 形態形成

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Fundamental human structures are formed during early embryonic development. Specific structures undergo further changes during the fetal period until near delivery. Unfortunately, few anatomical data are available to demonstrate the connection between fetal and adult structures due to a lack of fetal dissections. Moreover, human-specific structures cannot be analyzed using experimental animals. Therefore, human fetuses are essential for analyzing the morphological changes during the fetal period.
In this research project, in 2016-2023, existing histological sections and fetal specimens stored for years were analyzed with ethical review board permission. The observation of serial histological sections using light microscopy was more effective than the macroscopic dissection of tiny fetuses. Some human embryos and many mid- and late-term fetuses have been used to analyze formation of the nervous, musculoskeletal, and visceral systems.

Free Research Field

人体解剖学、組織学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

成人の身体構造の理解には胎児期からの形態形成の解析が欠かせないが、胎児の標本を新たに得ることは困難である。本プロジェクトでは倫理委員会の許可を得て、既存の長期保管中の胚子・胎児標本や胎児の組織切片を用いて、連続切片の観察により形態変化を把握した。特に神経系・運動器系・内臓系における形態形成の過程を観察することで、ヒトに特有の構造が形成された機構や機能的意義を追究することができた。