Development of a new treatment approach for chronic kidney disease by controlling CCN2 function

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K09627
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Kidney internal medicine
• Research Institution: Saitama Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Inoue Tsutomu 埼玉医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (30406475)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 岡田 浩一 埼玉医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (60233342)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 腎線維化 / CCN2 / 慢性腎臓病

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a national health issue, currently affecting 13 million people in Japan. However, there are no specific therapeutic agents available at present so CKD is treated with dietary measures. Disease progression leads to severe kidney impairment and dialysis is required. In addition, CKD is one of major risk factors for arteriosclerosis, which can lead to myocardial and cerebral infarction. In order to develop a new treatment approach for CKD, researchers first focused on a matricellular protein, CCN2, which is one of the factors responsible for kidney fibrosis, and examined its function in detail. The results show that CCN2 works on tubular epithelial cells in the kidney to alter their pathological function, leading to the development of CKD. This research could be used as a springboard for the development of new treatments approaches for CKD.

Free Research Field

腎臓

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

この研究成果には2つの意味がある。一つは慢性腎臓病の治療薬を開発する糸口をつかんだことである。透析が必要なほど腎の働きが悪くなる患者数を減らせるだけでは無く、腎臓が悪いことで起きる心臓病や脳血管疾患の発症も防ぐことができる。もう一つの意味は、この研究を応用すれば腎臓以外の病気の新薬が開発できることである。この研究で治療対象としたのは線維化であり、線維化は慢性腎臓病を進行させる主要な原因であるばかりか、肝硬変や肺線維症でもそれぞれの病気を進行させる主要な原因であることが知られている。線維化を治す新薬が開発できれば、慢性腎臓病以外の（線維化が原因となっている）不治の病気も治療が可能となるだろう。