Novel method of skin metatranscriptome analysis for predicting the onset of skin disease

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20H03701
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 53050:Dermatology-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: MATSUOKA YUMI 大阪大学, 免疫学フロンティア研究センター, 教授 (10402067)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: アトピー性皮膚炎 / トランスクリプトーム / 発症前

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We performed a metatranscriptomic analysis using amplified RNA from non-invasive swab sampling of human atopic dermatitis, complemented by gene expression data from pre-disease skin in a naturally occurring mouse model of atopic dermatitis obtained from existing databases. This confirmed the alignment between human and mouse transcriptomic data. Building on previous research that linked the skin microbiota of neonates at three days old to the development of atopic dermatitis by age one, we focused on analyzing the neonatal transcriptome. We found many genes significantly differentially expressed between the groups with and without atopic dermatitis onset, which mirrored the expression patterns in disease and healthy groups during the mouse pre-disease stage. Furthermore, we successfully identified a novel target gene X (unpublished) as a potential intervention point in the pre-disease stage for effective disease prevention.

Free Research Field

皮膚科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

我々の確立した系では、皮膚生検などの侵襲的な処置を必要としないため、同一部位から経時的に繰り返し、サンプリングを行うことができる。こういった背景を鑑みると、我々が確立した宿主・菌叢メタトランスクリプトームはまさに発症前の皮膚疾患を解析するのに最適な解析法と考えている。本解析法を用い、ADの発症予防のためのバイオマーカーを探索できたことそのものも学術的に非常に意義深いと考えているが、今後疾患での予防効果などを具体的に示すことができれば、治療法の創出にもつながると考えている。