Identification of fibroblasts that differentiate into myofibroblasts and the control of organ fibrosis

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K08736
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Experimental pathology
• Research Institution: Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Iwashita Toshihide 浜松医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (00283432)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 目黒 史織 浜松医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (40724290)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: Fibroblast / lung / fibrosis / pulmonary fibrosis

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To better understand the pathology and improve diagnosis and treatment of lung fibrosis, it is necessary to elucidate the nature of lung fibroblast heterogeneity and identify markers for the classification of human lung fibroblast subtypes. We characterized distinct mouse lung fibroblast subpopulations and performed microarray analysis to identify molecular markers. Based on the expression of these markers, in normal human lungs and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) lungs, two corresponding major fibroblast subtypes were identified: CD248-positive fibroblast and ITGA8-positive fibroblast, localized in the collagen fiber-rich connective tissue and in the elastic fiber-rich connective tissue, respectively. This human lung fibroblast classification may be helpful for further detailed investigations of the functions of lung fibroblast subtypes, which can provide new insights into lung development and the pathological processes underlying fibrotic lung diseases.

Free Research Field

実験病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今回明らかにしたヒト肺線維芽細胞の分類システム（CD248陽性線維芽細胞およびITGA8陽性線維芽細胞）を使用して、異なる線維芽細胞の機能のさらなる詳細な調査を行うことができる。それは肺発生や特発性肺線維症だけではなく、非特異的間質性肺炎やおよびpleuroparenchymal fibroelastosisなどの他の線維性肺疾患の根底にある病理学的過程に関する新たな洞察を得るのに役立つと考えられる。