3D analysis of vascular formation during liver development

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K18034
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55010:General surgery and pediatric surgery-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Kuse Yoshiki 東京大学, 医科学研究所, 特任研究員 (70837806)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 肝臓発生 / ３次元画像解析 / 組織透明化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Vascular formation in organs is accompanied by three-dimensional angiogenesis. Analysis of the angiogenesis process is insufficient during early organogenesis. In this study, we used fetal mouse whole-mount staining, tissue clearing techniques and three-dimensional imaging analysis to clarify the vascular formation between the macrovessels and the liver. In a co-culture system of isolated fetal blood vessels and liver, angiogenesis from the blood vessels toward the liver was observed. Therefore, we clarified a part of the process of angiogenesis during organogenesis and established the basic culture system to recapitulate this process.

Free Research Field

発生学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

血管構築過程の立体的な解析手法を確立し、胎児肝臓の血管形成に重要な大血管の特定に至った。今後、その大血管の血管内皮細胞等に近似した細胞をiPS細胞から誘導しヒトiPSC肝臓オルガノイド内への混入により組織構造化や機能向上等が認められれば、疾患モデルの確立などに有益となることが期待される。