Establishment of new treatments using Rapamycin for Age-Related Oral Disorders

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K19155
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 57060:Surgical dentistry-related
• Research Institution: Tenri University (2023); Tenri Health Care University (2022); Osaka University (2019-2021)
• Principal Investigator: Sakai Manabu 天理大学, 医療学部, 講師 (50643376)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 老化 / 唾液腺 / ラパマイシン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

There have been no studies on the effects of rapamycin, which has anti-aging effects, on salivary glands. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to establish a new therapeutic agent and treatment for various oral diseases associated with aging using rapamycin, and examined it using salivary gland organ culture and C57BL/6J-Aged aged mice. The results revealed that the mTOR signaling pathway plays an important role in salivary gland development and that rapamycin regulates salivary gland development via the mTORC1 signaling pathway. Furthermore, we found that C57BL/6J-Aged aging mice increase salivary gland inflammation and water consumption with age, and conversely decrease amylase activity.

Free Research Field

分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

①唾液腺の生育のためにmTORシグナル経路の上流ではPI3K/AKT経路、下流ではS6Kや4eBP1を介して重要な役割を果たしていた。②C57BL/6J-Aged老化マウスは年齢を重ねるにつれて唾液腺の炎症と飲水量を増加させ、反対に機能マーカーであるアクアポリン5、唾液アミラーゼ、ムスカインレセプターの発現を減少させていた。①②の結果から、抗老化作用があるラパマイシンがmTOR経路を介してマウスの老化に伴う変化を制御できる可能性を示した。