Osmotic change in the mucosal healing process of infammatory bowel disease

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K17061
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 53010:Gastroenterology-related
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: SEISHIMA Ryo 慶應義塾大学, 医学部(信濃町), 助教 (10573412)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 炎症性腸疾患 / 浸透圧変化 / 粘膜治癒

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study focused on osmotic changes in the mucosal microenvironment and the dynamics of immune system cells during the mucosal healing process of the intestinal mucosa in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and focused on the function of tonicity-responsive enhancer-binding protein (tonEBP) as a key molecule that links the two. The aim of this study was to develop a new IBD treatment with mucosal healing as the endpoint. In this study, we found that osmotic pressure-responsive proteins such as tonEBP are activated in macrophages in the interstitial space by osmotic pressure changes in the mucosa, and that the activation is correlated with the mucosal healing process.

Free Research Field

消化器

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

IBDは原因不明の難治性腸炎であり、下痢・血便などの症状の他、腸管の穿孔をも引き起こす重篤な疾患であるにも関わらず、根治治療が確立されていないため、その予防・治療法の確立が急務である。根本的な治療法が確立していない原因として、本疾患の病態発症メカニズムが依然不明である点が考えられる。本研究により、腸管粘膜における浸透圧変化が炎症惹起と関わりがあることが初めて示された。この知見をさらに発展させ、浸透圧応答タンパクが腸管免疫および上皮再生に与える具体的な影響を明らかにしていくことが望まれる。