HSV-1 expressing TRP receptor for interstitial cystitis

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K09720
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 56030:Urology-related
• Research Institution: Kyorin University
• Principal Investigator: FUKUHARA Hiroshi 杏林大学, 医学部, 教授 (20292948)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 田口 慧 杏林大学, 医学部, 助教 (40625737)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 遺伝子治療 / 疼痛

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Our objective is to develop a novel virus that expresses pain-suppressing genes and to create an innovative treatment for interstitial cystitis. We aimed to use herpes simplex virus type 1, which reaches the dorsal root ganglion through retrograde transport along nerve axons, where it establishes a latent infection and expresses pain-suppressing genes to provide sustained pain relief. Although the establishment of the latent infection model was not achieved during the research period, we successfully developed several new viruses and evaluated them using an inflammatory bladder pain model. Specifically, we assessed the pain-suppressing effects of the new viruses using the formalin test, in which formalin, a pain-inducing gene, was injected into the mouse paw, and the duration of escape behavior was measured.

Free Research Field

泌尿器科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

泌尿器科領域の慢性疼痛疾患として、2016年より難病指定を受けた間質性膀胱炎がある。難治性の膀胱痛や不快感が持続するため、患者の生活の質が大きく損なわれる。疼痛の緩和が動物実験で実証されれば、将来的には、疼痛部位に直接投与することにより、その部位だけ限局性に疼痛が緩和され、全身的な副作用も惹起しない、また、繰り返し同部位に投与ができることが、期待される。将来的には、間質性膀胱炎などの慢性疼痛を来たす疾患の新規治療としての切り札となる可能性を秘めている。