Functional analysis of linc RNA that regulates cell cycle of cardiomyocytes and its application for heart diseases

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K15447
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Cardiovascular medicine
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Kataoka Masaharu 慶應義塾大学, 医学部(信濃町), 講師 (20445208)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: lincRNA / 心筋細胞 / 細胞分裂

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Using the lincRNA array and quantitative PCR, we narrowed down the most important lincRNA whose expression level fluctuates greatly in the pathological myocardium of adult mouse hearts and named it as "linc-Heart". The expression level of linc-Heart decreased in the embryonic heart and increased with growth. Furthermore, in the heart in which the expression of linc-Heart was induced using an adeno-associated virus vector, the size of cardiomyocytes was maintained and the number of cells was increased after the pathological model heart was created, suggesting that linc-Heart plays an important role in the regulation of cell cycle of cardiomyocytes.

Free Research Field

循環器病学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果を応用することによって、従来の概念から逸脱した全く新しい概念として、もともと存在している正常な成熟心筋細胞を、lincRNAを介して細胞増殖させることにより治療する、という発想が可能な時代が到来する可能性がある。特に、linc-Heartと同様の機能を有するヒトlincRNAを同定し、それを既に他疾患治療で臨床応用されている2型AAVを用いて心筋へ遺伝子導入する等の方法により、ヒト心筋梗塞後のリモデリング抑制や心筋症での心機能改善等へ応用できる可能性が広がり、臨床への将来的な貢献が多いに期待できる。