Research of neurite outgrowth from ganglion cells using retinal organoid differentiated from stem cells

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K20320
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Ophthalmology
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: MAEKAWA Yuki 長崎大学, 病院(医学系), 助教 (30530456)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 網膜 / 網膜神経節細胞 / 軸索 / 細胞外基質 / 網膜グリア細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Since irreversible visual impairment due to damage to retinal ganglion cells caused by various retinal diseases cannot be cured, neuroprotective treatments and regenerative medicine are attracting worldwide attention. This research was designed to advance methods of induction and evaluation of neuritogenesis from retinal ganglion cells in retinal organoids differentiated from stem cells and to search for effective factors in neurite outgrowth and maintenance.
A method of evaluating highly-inducible neuritogenesis on thick matrigel using whole-mount immunohistochemistry was established. The importance of laminin for neuritogenesis was demonstrated. Binarization and imaging analysis using phase-contrast optical micrograph enabled a continual and quantitative assessment of neuritogenesis.

Free Research Field

医学、眼科学、網膜

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

幹細胞由来の分化網膜様組織から網膜神経節細胞の軸索伸長を誘導することは、網膜神経節細胞の発生過程における分子機構を明らかにする糸口になるだけでなく、将来の神経節細胞を用いた再生医療や神経保護治療開発において重要な手法になりえる。今回、軸索伸長の定量的な解析方法を確立したこと、細胞外基質であるラミニンが軸索伸長に重要な役割を果たしていることを明らかにしたことは、これらの目的に対する前進であるといえる。