Environmental factors influencing lifestyle-related diseases based on epigenomic information and clinical laboratory values of twins.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H04048
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59040:Nutrition science and health science-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: WATANABE Mikio 大阪大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 教授 (50294088)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 竹中 要一 関西大学, 総合情報学部, 教授 (00324830)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: エピゲノム / 双生児 / アディポネクチン / 臨床検査 / 環境要因 / 遺伝要因 / 脂質代謝

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Although genetic and environmental factors are present in diseases, it is difficult to evaluate the influence of genetic and environmental factors alone because each factor is generally interrelated. Since the effects of environmental factors alone can be rigorously evaluated in monozygotic twins, in which the genetic factors are identical, this study analyzed adiponectin, which is important in the regulation of lipid metabolism, as a factor involved in lifestyle-related diseases in monozygotic twins. As a result, it was found that the influence of epigenomic factors, which are environmental factors, was observed only in twins with specific genetic backgrounds, and useful results were obtained for the prediction of disease onset and treatment.

Free Research Field

臨床検査学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

疾患に関与する環境要因の解明は、疾患の予防、予後予測、治療に非常に有益である。しかも、特定の遺伝背景における環境要因の影響を解析することは、個別化医療（個別化診断、治療）のために必須である。本研究では一卵性双生児を用いることでこれらの解析を可能としたものであり、生活習慣病の発症、予後、治療過程で、環境要因がその個体に及ぼす影響をエピゲノムレベルで評価でき、その後の治療方針等の決定に応用できることとなり、学術的のみならず臨床現場で応用できる成果と言える。