Studying Intracellular Mechanisms of Pain Information Generation by High-Resolution Electrical Measurement

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20H04498
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90110:Biomedical engineering-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Shimba Kenta 東京大学, 大学院工学系研究科(工学部), 助教 (80792655)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 高山 祐三 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 生命工学領域, 主任研究員 (60608438)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 軸索 / 電気計測 / ミエリン鞘 / 末梢神経 / 疼痛

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we developed a electrical measurement method with high spatial resolution for cultured sensory neurons toward understanding where pain occurs within cells. As a result, we successfully measured the spatial propagation pattern of a phenomenon called "saltatory conduction" for the first time. Additionally, we were able to mimic the sensitization, which is the cellular hypersensitivity response that serves as the cause of pain signal generation, on the measurement chip. These findings are significant in terms of developing fundamental technologies for understanding where pain originates.

Free Research Field

生体医工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で計測された跳躍伝導の空間的な伝搬パターンを計測することで，染色や組織の観察によって脱髄が観察されるより早く，ミエリン鞘が変性する現象である脱髄による機能低下を発見できる可能性がある．よって，脱髄疾患を早期に診断したり，進行機序を理解したりするうえで重要な技術となり得る．また，今回計測できた感作状態をより詳細に調べることで，通常は痛いと感じないレベルの信号で痛みが発生する現象の理解につながる．これらの技術は，新たな治療法の開発や，薬剤を作る際のアッセイシステムとして有効である．