Novel pulmonary fibrosis therapeutic strategy targeting TGF-beta inducible gene

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K08525
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 53030:Respiratory medicine-related
• Research Institution: Showa University
• Principal Investigator: Lei Xiao-Feng 昭和大学, 医学部, 助教 (00595069)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 金山 朱里 昭和大学, 医学部, 准教授 (10338535)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 肺線維症 / 細胞外マトリックス / TGF-β / 接着斑分子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Fibrosis is an intractable disease characterized by damage to organ parenchymal cells accompanied by chronic inflammation and abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix such as collagen. There is still no effective treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which is characterized by a short survival time from diagnosis, and the molecular basis for the development of therapeutic agents is still needed. We have identified H2O2-inducible clone 5 (Hic-5, also known as TGF-β1i1) as a regulatory molecule of fibroblast activation during liver fibrosis. In this study, we focused on the function of Hic-5 in lung fibrosis. The results suggest that Hic-5 is a potential new drug target for pulmonary fibrosis.

Free Research Field

分子病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

線維化疾患は慢性炎症を伴って臓器実質細胞が損傷され、コラーゲンなどの細胞外マトリックスの異常蓄積を特徴とする難治性疾患である。診断から短い生存期間が問題となる特発性肺線維症に対する有効な治療法は乏しく、治療薬の開発に向けた分子基盤の解明が必要とされている。本研究では肺線維化における新規創薬ターゲット分子を見出し、積極的な線維化疾患創薬シーズの開発に必須の分子基盤の一端を明らかにした。