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2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Critical roles of Gas6 in the pathology of GVHD

Research Project

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Project/Area Number 17K09959
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Section一般
Research Field Hematology
Research InstitutionFukushima Medical University

Principal Investigator

Hiroshi Ohkawara  福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (10381360)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) 小川 一英  福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (40423800)
池添 隆之  福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (80294833)
池田 和彦  福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (90381392)
Project Period (FY) 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
KeywordsGas6 / 同種造血幹細胞移植 / Mer / 内皮障害
Outline of Final Research Achievements

Endothelial dysfunction in the early phases of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) contributes to a pathology of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which are serious complications of HSCT. Serum Growth arrest-specific (Gas) 6 s levels were significantly increased in HSCT patients with acute GVHD (aGVHD), and Gas6 and Mer expression levels were upregulated in aGVHD lesions of the large intestine and skin. In human umbilical vein endothelial cells (ECs), exogenous Gas6 or the exposure of sera isolated from patients with aGVHD to ECs induced the downregulation of thrombomodulin and the upregulation of PAI-1, which were inhibited by UNC2250, a selective Mer tyrosine kinase inhibitor. In mouse HSCT models, we observed hepatic GVHD with hepatocellular apoptosis, necrosis, and fibrosis of the liver. Of note, intravenous administration of UNC2250 markedly suppressed GVHD in these mouse HSCT models. Our findings suggest that the Gas6-Mer axis is a promising target for GVHD.

Free Research Field

同種造血幹細胞移植

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究はGVHD及びTA-TMA病態の一端を解明し、 Gas6-MerシグナルがGVHD及びTA-TMAに対する新たな治療標的や検査法開発に寄与する可能性を秘めている。本研究成果は米雑誌Blood Advances (Blood Adv. 2019;3(14):2128-2143.)に掲載された。

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Published: 2022-01-27  

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