Involvement of cytoskeleton-dependent signaling in renal fibrosis

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K09691
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Kidney internal medicine
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Sakai Norihiko 金沢大学, 附属病院, 准教授 (60377421)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 腎不全 / 線維化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Fibrosis is characterized by an excessive wound healing response to organ damage, causing extracellular matrix deposition and accumulation of fibroblasts/myofibroblasts. Recently, chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been thought as being at risk of developing end-stage renal disease. In the process of CKD progression to renal failure, various renal diseases are characterized by taking a common process which is renal interstitial fibrosis. In this study, we attempted to elucidate the significance of cytoskeleton-dependent signals for renal interstitial fibrosis by regulating the biological properties of renal resident cells. As a result, it was revealed that the cytoskeleton-dependent signal by TGF-b1 in renal resident cells contributes to the progression of renal interstitial fibrosis by inducing myofibroblast differentiation.

Free Research Field

腎臓内科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、細胞骨格に関連するシグナルが、腎臓を構成する細胞の機能を調節することで腎不全の原因となる線維化に関与するかを試みた。その結果、腎構成細胞において、細胞骨格シグナルが、線維化に関与する細胞を活性化させ、腎線維化進展に寄与することを明らかにした。これは腎障害の原因に関わらない共通機序であり、現在増加の一途を辿っている末期腎不全患者数の抑制につながる新規治療法開発につながることが期待される。