The role of Id genes in cochlear supporting cells and the application to hair cell regeneration

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K24031
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0906:Surgery related to the biological and sensory functions and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Sakamoto Susumu 京都大学, 医学研究科, 客員研究員 (00845406)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 内耳 / 蝸牛 / 有毛細胞 / 再生医療 / Id遺伝子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Id genes are factors which induce supporting cells in developing cochleae and we hypothesized that deletion of Id genes in supporting cells lead to conversion from supporting cells to hair cells. We performed in vivo experiment using Id1 knockout, Id2 knockout, Id3 flox and pHes5 creERT2 mice which express cre driver in supporting cells in developing cochleae. We observed a few extra outer hair cells in this mutant mice. We think that Id4 expression is need to be knocked down to observe the effect of Id genes on supporting cells. We are now going to produce Id4 flox mice to elucidate whether deletion of Id1-Id4 in supporting cells led to conversion from supporting cells to hair cells.

Free Research Field

耳鼻咽喉科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本は高齢化社会となり、難聴者は増加している。蝸牛は音の振動を電子信号に変換し脳に伝える組織である。難聴の原因の多くは蝸牛の有毛細胞の脱落であるが、現在の医学では有毛細胞を再生させる方法はない。そのため、有毛細胞を再生させる治療方法の確立は学術的意義だけでなく社会的意義も大きい。今回、我々はId遺伝子が有毛細胞再生の重要な因子である可能性を示した。この研究が進展することで難聴の治療方法の確立に貢献できると考える。