Investigating the Effects of Farnesylation on an Autoimmune Hepatitis Model

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K09374
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 55050:Anesthesiology-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Shirozu Kazuhiro 九州大学, 大学病院, 講師 (30568960)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 赤星 朋比古 九州大学, 医学研究院, 准教授 (20336019)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: ファルネシルトランスフェラーゼ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A mouse model of acute liver failure was created to demonstrate that the farnesyltransferase inhibitor studied as a therapeutic agent had a protective effect. Specifically, the study demonstrated that the inhibitor suppressed the elevation of liver enzymes caused by acute liver failure, suppressed the areas of necrosis in liver tissue, and suppressed the elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. As the mechanism of the inhibition, we proved that it inhibits the secretion of IFN-γ from CD4 Tcells by inhibiting the phosphorylation of STAT1 via CD4 Tcells.

Free Research Field

麻酔学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

急性肝不全は未だに難治性の病態である。近年ウイルス性肝炎からの急性肝不全を発症する患者は減少傾向である一方、自己免疫性急性肝炎、非アルコール性脂肪肝炎が増加傾向にある。今回Concanavalin A(Con A)を用いて作成した自己免疫性急性肝炎に類似した病態に対し、ファルネシルトランスフェラーゼが有効であるという結果は、医学的、社会的にも大きいと考える。