Construction of vascular endothelial cell injury dynamic evaluation system focusing on Neurovascular Unit.

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K16275
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Pediatrics
• Research Institution: Fukushima Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Miyazaki Kyohei 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 博士研究員 (70769497)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 血管内皮細胞 / 急性ウイルス性脳症 / 血管透過性 / タイトジャンクション

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Virus-associated acute encephalopathy is a disease with a poor neurological prognosis that develops with a sudden disturbance of consciousness and convulsions after viral infection. It has been described that its main pathological condition is non-inflammatory cerebral edema due to destruction of the blood-brain barrier and the increased vascular permeability with the increase of inflammatory cytokines. In this study, we established a dynamic evaluation system of vascular permeability by a real-time cell monitoring system using a three-dimensional cell culture system consisting of cerebral vascular endothelial cells and pericytes. It has become possible to reproduce vascular endothelial cell damage in acute encephalopathy at the cellular level and evaluate it dynamically.This evaluation system is useful for elucidating the pathophysiology of acute encephalopathy, examining new therapeutic strategies, and searching for therapeutic targets.

Free Research Field

小児科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ウイルス性急性脳症は主に乳幼児のウイルス感染後に急激な意識障害やけいれんを伴って発症する神経予後の不良な疾患である。その主病態は炎症性サイトカインの上昇に伴い、血液脳関門が破壊され、血管透過性亢進が亢進することによる非炎症性の脳浮腫であると考えられているが、病態の詳細な機序は不明な点が多い。本研究により、急性脳症の病態解明や新たな治療戦略の検討、及び治療標的の探索が可能になった。