Roel of extracellular NAD against malaria infection

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K08653
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Pathological medical chemistry
• Research Institution: University of Toyama
• Principal Investigator: Nakagawa Takashi 富山大学, 学術研究部医学系, 教授 (40610374)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: マラリア / NAD代謝

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this research project, we elucidate how the extracellular NAD signal is involved in the defense against malaria infection. We hypothesised that NAD released from red blood cells at the early stage of malaria infection acts as an extracellular signal to prevent malaria infection. We revealed that the Preiss-handler pathway was activated by malaria infection. It was also found that NAD acts extracellularly on macrophages and promoted to releases various inflammatory cytokines. However, it was suggested that TLR4 was not involved in the macrophage activation and that there is an altenative pathway.

Free Research Field

薬理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

マラリアは現在においても年間2億人の人々が感染し、発展途上国を中心として100万人の死者を出す原虫感染症である。そのため、より効果的な治療薬の開発が望まれている。本研究は、マラリア感染においてNAD代謝が関与していることの一端を明らかにした研究であり、NAD代謝がマラリア治療の新たなターゲットとなることが期待される。