Insights of chemokine networks in cord blood transfusion for cerebral palsy

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K19687
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Embryonic/Neonatal medicine
• Research Institution: Kochi University
• Principal Investigator: BABA Nobuyasu 高知大学, 教育研究部医療学系基礎医学部門, 助教 (30711296)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 臍帯血 / 再生医療 / 脳性麻痺 / ケモカイン / ケモカイン受容体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Regenerative medicine using umbilical cord blood shows promise for the treatment of cerebral palsy. The mechanisms by which cord blood interact and aid in the improvement of symptoms are not clear. I explored the chemokine expression profiles in damaged brain tissue with human cord blood infusion using mouse cerebral palsy model.
Some chemokines were up-regulated immediate after tissue damage occurred, which might respond tissue damage, and other chemokine expressions were prolonged and cord blood transfusion further increased certain chemokines, which might be related to the new recruitment and differentiation of neural stem cells, leading to the tissue regeneration or functional recovery.
Chemokine receptors on brain composing cells and cord blood cells were altered in response to the tissue damage signals, supporting the concept that chemokine networks may play an active role in tissue regeneration in cerebral palsy with cord blood transfusion therapy.

Free Research Field

再生医療学　免疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

組織損傷や臍帯血移植に応じて、脳組織を構成する細胞がケモカインの産生を担い、同時に脳組織細胞や臍帯血細胞におけるケモカインレセプターの発現が変化したことは、損傷組織の病態形成や組織修復、機能回復にケモカインネットワークが関与していることを示唆している。
これまでの研究成果と引き続く研究取組みは脳性麻痺をはじめ様々な難治性疾患に対する臍帯血を用いた再生医療の治療メカニズムの解明と、安全でより効果的な治療法の開発に資する。