In vivo analysis for the relation of embryonic implantation and maternal age

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H02361
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 42040:Laboratory animal science-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: KANAI MASAMI 東京医科歯科大学, 統合研究機構, 教授 (70321883)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 平手 良和 東京医科歯科大学, 統合研究機構, 講師 (70342839)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 着床不全 / マウス / Sox17

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The assisted reproductive technology (ART) has been developed remarkably. In Japan, 450,000 infertility treatments are carried out annually, and that number is the highest in the world. The child born by ART was 57,000 and it became one in 17 people in 2017. In contrary to the recent development of ART technology, the success rate of childbirth is still 25% even if a good quality embryo was transferred to the mother. These causes are unknown, however the aging of the mother and the short time window of implantation are major reasons. In this study, we identified a therapeutically molecules among the downstream factors of Sox17 heterozygous mouse and detected Amphiregulin (Areg). Sox17 heterozygotes indicate the possibility of abnormal progesterone feedback regulation. We are currently developing mice capable of endometrial transplantation from different individuals and species.

Free Research Field

実験動物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ヒト胚、iPS, ES細胞を動物個体子宮に戻す研究は、国内では現在のところ法的に認められず、母体環境の基礎研究はブラックボックスにある。我が国における研究レベルの躍進を考えると代替え方法確立が必要である。着床過程に関与する遺伝子検索により着床率の改善が期待され、細胞外分泌因子が必要とされている。この度,Sox17下流因子として単離したAregはヘパリン結合型EGF受容体に結合する分泌因子で有り、胚移植の際に添加するなどで着床率の向上が期待される。また、異なる個体・種から子宮内膜移植が可能なマウスTgの作出はその解決の糸口となり、いずれも社会的に有意義であると思われる。