Analysis of lymphatic vascular morphogenesis and functional analysis of CD73 in 3D tissue model

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K15538
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General anatomy (including histology/embryology)
• Research Institution: Hirosaki University
• Principal Investigator: Okano Daisuke 弘前大学, 医学研究科, 助手 (00719023)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: リンパ管 / 三次元培養 / CD73 / ライブイメージング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We showed that a primary lymphatic vessels network is formed on a plane in a three-dimensional lymphatic vessel tissue model. And then lymphangiogenesis occurs from there, and budding, elongation, migration, and anastomosis are repeated to form a secondary lymphatic vessels network. Intracellular vesicles of lymphatic endothelial cells changed into lymphatic lumen during lymphangiogenesis. It was suggested that CD73 expression and adenosine receptor expression of fibroblasts in a three-dimensional lymphatic vessel model are involved in the lymphatic network formation ability.

Free Research Field

組織学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

リンパ管新生はがんのリンパ行性転移だけでなく免疫、むくみやアンチエイジングなど様々な場面での関与があるにもかかわらず不明な点が多い。本研究ではタイムラプス・ライブイメージングでリンパ管形態形成を明らかにし、線維芽細胞のCD73がリンパ管ネットワーク形成に関与していることが示唆された。がんの病態解明や、ひいては新たな治療戦略の確立に寄与することが期待される。