New therapeutic approach for human chronic liver failure based on hepatocyte profiling.

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K09367
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Gastroenterology
• Research Institution: Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Nishikawa Taichiro 京都府立医科大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (90433250)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 肝不全 / 肝細胞 / 肝硬変 / エネルギー代謝

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Aiming at the pathological elucidation of chronic liver failure, we compared the properties of normal and cirrhotic hepatocytes using various molecular biological techniques. In cell culture analysis, hepatocyte functions such as albumin synthesis and urea synthesis were decreased according to the progression from normal to cirrhosis. Furthermore, as a result of gene array analysis and metabolomics, hepatocytes become more immature traits on pathological condition of chronic liver failure, and its change in intracellular metabolic pathways resulted in decreased energy production capacity. This study revealed a cause of human chronic liver failure.

Free Research Field

肝臓

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

肝硬変の進行により慢性的な肝不全におちいった患者に対して、現状では肝臓器移植に代わる根治治療法は未だ充分に確立できていない。本研究は、ヒト慢性肝不全の病態において、肝臓を構成している肝細胞のレベルで細胞機能の低下が生じていること、また細胞機能の低下に繋がっている遺伝子レベルでの原因の探索とそれによって生じた細胞内の代謝経路の変化を明らかにした。今後、それらを標的とした新規治療の開発に資する点で、大きな意義があったと考える。