Basic research to prevent decline in motor function in the elderly: Project to explore the role of "intramuscular tendons"

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K09895
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 57010:Oral biological science-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Dental College
• Principal Investigator: Abe Shinichi 東京歯科大学, 歯学部, 教授 (40256300)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 筋内腱 / 運動器 / 加齢変化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To clarify the role of intramuscular tendons at the attachment site of muscle to bone, we considered the mechanism of maintenance of the muscle-tendon-bone complex from the viewpoint of regeneration of tendons at the attachment site of muscle, which is part of the musculoskeletal system. Six-week-old C57BL/6J mice were used as study materials. To confirm the recovery of motor function, the Achilles tendon was injured with a scalpel as the area of interest. The mice were divided into four stages: a sham group (sham operation), a group 1 week after injury (POW1), a group 2 weeks after injury (POW2), and a group 4 weeks after injury (POW4). It was revealed that Sox9 is expressed at the injury site during tendon regeneration. It was also suggested that Sox9-positive cells that accumulate at the injury site are involved in tendon regeneration by switching stem cells that accumulate after injury to Sox9.

Free Research Field

解剖学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

高齢者の運動機能低下防止のため、「骨-腱-骨複合体」の強固な連結を維持することが重要となるが、その連結には筋内腱が常に機能することが重要で、本研究成果から得られた関連因子（Sox9）を発現させるための研究へつなげる研究である。高齢者の身体内の関節機能の衰えは「ロコモティブシンドローム」と称され、健康寿命を伸ばすためには避けなければならないことが知られてきている。今後は、運動習慣の改善などで「骨-腱-骨複合体」にSox9が発現し筋内腱が強固な連結に影響を与え続ける、という仮説を立証していくことで、本研究がその社会的意義の基盤研究となることを立証できる。