Elucidation of the mechanisms of tissue repair by the spatio-temporal regulation of cell death

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H03419
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 48040:Medical biochemistry-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Enomoto Masato 京都大学, 生命科学研究科, 助教 (00596174)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞死 / 細胞間相互作用 / 組織間相互作用 / 組織修復 / ショウジョウバエ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Epithelial tissue repair is achieved by cell-cell interactions of various cells. However, the mechanism by which tissue repair is spatiotemporally controlled in vivo remains elusive. In this study, I elucidated the mechanism of spatiotemporal regulation of tissue repair using Drosophila imaginal epithelium. I found in Drosophila wing imaginal discs that physical injury causes cell death, which is broadly generated within damaged tissues. Cell death in damaged tissues systemically propagates to other organs at the distance. Furthermore, genetic inhibition of inter-organ propagation of cell death between damaged tissue and normal tissue caused impaired tissue repair. These findings suggest that dying cells generated in normal tissues spatiotemporally control tissue repair by driving inter-organ communication with damaged tissues.

Free Research Field

細胞生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、組織傷害により生じた細胞死が細胞・組織間を伝播し、この死細胞の時空間動態が組織の修復と再生の達成に重要であることを明らかにしたものである。本成果は、細胞死による生体の損傷チェックポイントという新しい概念を提唱するものである。また、このような死細胞を介した細胞・組織間コミュニケーションによる組織修復の仕組みの理解は、再生医学・医療工学に新しい視点を提供すると共に、組織再生を人為的に制御する手法やマテリアル開発の基盤になると期待される。