Study on treatment of jaw bone necrosis using a subpopulation of MSCs that activate immunity

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K10182
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 57040:Regenerative dentistry and dental engineering-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Nishizawa Satoru 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 特任助教 (00646200)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 浅輪 幸世 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 特任講師 (10769912) ; 星 和人 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 教授 (30344451)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞治療 / 薬剤関連顎骨壊死 / 間葉系幹細胞 / 再生医療

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Drug-related osteonecrosis of the jaw is a disease caused by the administration of drugs such as those for osteoporosis, and no treatment has yet been established. Cell therapy using mesenchymal stem cells is expected to be an effective treatment because mesenchymal stem cells are not only a source of bone-building cells but also provide factors that promote bone cell activity. However, because mesenchymal stem cells are immunosuppressive, their administration for the purpose of treating refractory patients with advanced infection is risky. On the other hand, the immune regulatory function of mesenchymal stem cells remains unclear, and some reports have shown that they activate immunity. In this study, we searched for a subpopulation of mesenchymal stem cells with immune-activating properties and investigated their therapeutic efficacy against refractory drug-induced osteonecrosis of the jaw.

Free Research Field

再生医療

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

間葉系幹細胞による顎骨壊死に対する細胞治療の研究は、殆どが発症初期のモデルを用いて評価している。しかし臨床に展開していく上では難治性のモデルを用いた評価をおこなうことが重要である。本研究の特色は、間葉系幹細胞の免疫制御作用に着目し、これまで免疫抑制作用がクローズアップされてきた間葉系幹細胞による細胞治療を感染の進行により憎悪するリスクのある疾患に対し、安全かつ確実に適応させるための方策を新たに作出する点にある。得られた知見は細胞治療の分野において有意義なものとなる可能性がある。