Fabrication of pre-collecting and collecting lymphatic vessels and identification of factors involved in lymphatic vessel formation

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K24252
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0908:Society medicine, nursing, and related fields
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Nakajima Yukari 金沢大学, 保健学系, 助教 (40846680)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: リンパ管 / リンパ浮腫 / 再生医療

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the fabrication of lymphatic vessel by three-dimensional culture, adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from C57BL6/J mice and cultured in plates, and then capillary lymphatic vessel production was performed using the Layer-by-Layer method. However, the rate of cell death was increased using revised protocol. Thereby, we established the conditions for stable lymphatic vessel production by improving the cell adhesion rate to culture inserts, using fibroblasts as support cells, and studying the composition of the culture medium.
We are in the process of fabricating connecting lymphatic vessels, identifying factors involved in lymphatic vessel formation, and evaluating the three-dimensional structure of lymphatic vessels using the established protocol.

Free Research Field

基礎看護、脈管学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

生体外で毛細リンパ管を作製し、これに関わる因子の同定を行うことにより、リンパ管形成因子やこれを促進する因子を同定することができる。これを元に、導出リンパ管、集合リンパ管と、よりリンパ輸送能の高いリンパ管を生体外で作製し、これらのリンパ管形成に関わる因子を同定することで、乳がんや子宮がんの手術時にリンパ節郭を受けた患者の郭清部において、リンパ管再建を行い、リンパ浮腫の発症予防や根治的治療を行うことが可能になる。本研究は、再生医療を用いた世界に先駆けるリンパ浮腫治療・予防法の開発に繋がることが期待される。