Elucidation of the Impact on School-Age Children's Health through Epigenome and Metagenome Interaction Analysis

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20H03928
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 58020:Hygiene and public health-related: including laboratory approach
• Research Institution: University of Yamanashi
• Principal Investigator: Miyake Kunio 山梨大学, 大学院総合研究部, 准教授 (60550712)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 篠原 亮次 山梨大学, 大学院総合研究部, 特任教授 (00633116) ; 山縣 然太朗 山梨大学, 大学院総合研究部, 教授 (10210337) ; 望月 和樹 山梨大学, 大学院総合研究部, 教授 (80423838)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: DOHaD / 出生コホート / 腸内細菌叢 / 神経発達 / アレルギー性鼻炎 / 低栄養

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to elucidate the impact of environmental factors during the fetal and early childhood periods on diseases and the health and development of children up to school age, considering genetic backgrounds, from the perspectives of epigenome and gut microbiota metagenome analyses, using a large-scale birth cohort. As a result, several significant findings were revealed: (1) characteristic gut microbiota in underweight eight-year-old children, (2) the association between the prevalence of allergic rhinitis symptoms and gut microbiota in eight-year-olds, (3) an increased risk of developmental delays in children due to the combination of alcohol metabolism gene polymorphisms and maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and (4) an increased risk of developmental delays in children due to maternal malnutrition during pregnancy. Future research will focus on elucidating more detailed molecular mechanisms.

Free Research Field

分子疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、胎児期や乳幼児期のさまざまな環境要因が成長後の疾患リスクに関連するというDOHaD概念を強化する成果が得られ、分子疫学的エビデンスの一端を解明できた点は学術的意義が大きい。
我が国において、相対的貧困、妊婦の栄養不足が社会問題となっている。妊娠中母親の低栄養環境や飲酒が子どもの発達に悪影響を及ぼすリスクが高まるという本研究成果は、妊娠を考えている女性に対する情報提供や注意喚起に生かされた点で社会的意義が大きい。今後さらなるDOHaD分子メカニズムの解明及びリスクとなる環境要因やバイオマーカーの発見により、将来の疾患リスクを予測し、早期介入による先制医療を実現が期待される。