The development of hepatic fibrosis suppression focusing on hepatic stellate cell energy metabolism

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K15949
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Gastroenterology
• Research Institution: Yamaguchi University
• Principal Investigator: IWAMOTO Takuya 山口大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 助教 (80634716)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 肝星細胞 / 肝硬変 / 骨髄細胞 / αSMA

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We studied the activation of hepatic stellate cells from the viewpoint of energy metabolism, and found that adenylate isozyme B (AKisoB) is closely related to hepatic stellate cell activation.
Knockdown of AKisoB by microarray analysis increased αSMA by 2.7-fold and Col1A1 by 2.1-fold. When AKisoB was purified by a column attached to protein IIA and evaluated by Western blotting, several bands were confirmed in addition to the AKiso band. The above results proved that AKisoB is involved in the activation of hepatic stellate cells. This study is expected to lead to the discovery of therapeutic agents for improving fibrosis in liver cirrhosis and the analysis of the mechanism of liver fibrosis.

Free Research Field

肝臓

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

肝硬変は肝臓の線維化により発症するが、肝線維化の改善についての詳細なメカニズムは未だ解っていない。肝線維化と関係するといわれるαSMAについて着目して研究したところ、アデニル酸アイソザイムB(AKisoB)が肝星細胞活性化と関係が深いことを見出した。本研究により肝硬変の線維化改善治療薬の創薬、および肝線維化のメカニズム解析につながってゆくことが期待される。