Why does rheumatoid arthritis synovitis rarely involve DIP joints?

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K15513
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Collagenous pathology/Allergology
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (2017); Kyoto University (2016)
• Principal Investigator: TERAO CHIKASHI 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 統合生命医科学研究センター, 上級研究員 (60610459)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 関節リウマチ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Based on the fact that rheumatoid arthritis rarely involve DIP joints, I assumed that a distribution of protein in synovial tissues might be greatly different between DIP joints and other joints. Although I had tried to obtain human synovial tissues from DIP joints, almost none of the institutions had DIP synovial tissues. Thus, I decided to use cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), which serve as a model of rheumatoid arthritis. I placed an order to Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories, Ltd to obtain synovial tissues from hand and foot DIP, PIP, MP, shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and ankle in three monkeys. We optimized conditions of extracting RNA from synovial tissues and extracted RNA from the specimens. I placed an order to Broad Institute in Boston to conduct RNA sequencing for a total of 96 samples allowing duplicates. Based on the RNA seq data which is a quite good data source of RA analysis, I have been working on analyzing the gene expression profiles in synovial tissues.

Free Research Field

臨床遺伝学