Development of a direct reprogramming method from venous endothelial cells to lymphatic endothelial cells

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K08586
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 55010:General surgery and pediatric surgery-related
• Research Institution: Asahikawa Medical College
• Principal Investigator: HIRATA Satoshi 旭川医科大学, 大学病院, 教授 (80199067)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 齊藤 幸裕 旭川医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (80540583)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: ダイレクト・リプログラミング / リンパ管

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Lymphatic vessels develop by differentiation from the vein wall during fetal life. It has been reported that it is possible to induce differentiation of fibroblasts directly into cardiomyocytes. To develop a method to directly induce differentiation from veins into lymphatic vessels, we evaluated gene expression in HUVECs, HSaVECs, and HDLECs by qPCR. Prox1, VEGFR-3, LYVE-1, and ANGPT2 were highly expressed in HDLECs than in the other two cells. Overexpression of Prox1 and VEGFR-3 vectors were created and gene transfer was performed into HSaVECs, but HSaVECs could not be induced into LECs. We will continue to conduct comprehensive analysis.

Free Research Field

外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

研究成果が臨床応用されればリンパ浮腫診療において極めて画期的な治療法となる。本治療法の開発は、患者自身の静脈から分化させるものでES細胞やiPS細胞を使用しないことから倫理的問題は全く無く、安全性の観点からも発癌を含めたあらゆる点で優れた治療法と考える。また原発性、続発性リンパ浮腫を問わず応用可能であり、また外傷、廃用性、静脈性浮腫などにも治療効果が期待できることから、多くの浮腫病態において汎用性の高い治療法となることが期待される。