Determination of therapeutic factors using extracellular vesicles secreted from 3D-cultured stem cells

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K20086
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Biomedical engineering and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine (2020); The University of Tokyo (2017-2019)
• Principal Investigator: Uchida Satoshi 京都府立医科大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (20710726)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-06-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞外小胞 / 3次元培養 / 細胞移植治療 / 再生医療 / 核酸医薬

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In cell transplantation therapy, extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by the cells play significant therapeutic roles. This motivated us to study EVs for determining potent therapeutic factors. We focused on EVs secreted from MSCs in three-dimensional culture, which showed enhanced therapeutic effect compared to MSCs in conventional two-dimensional culture. Comprehensive comparison between EVs secreted from MSCs in two- and three-dimensional culture allowed us to determine various microRNAs possessing therapeutic functionalities, including anti-inflammatory and osteogenetic effects.

Free Research Field

核酸医薬

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果は、細胞移植治療のメカニズム解明に繋がるだけでなく、細胞を使わない再生医療の実現に資する。細胞移植は優れた治療効果を示すものの、経済的コストや安全性に課題を残す。今回、移植細胞が分泌するEVに含まれる、高い治療効果を持つmiRNAを同定することに成功した。このmiRNAを治療薬として用いることで、細胞移植を行うことなく、同等の治療効果が得られる可能性がある。このことで、これまで重篤な疾患が主な対象であった再生医療を、より幅広い疾患へと応用できることが期待される。