Establishment of lung regeneration therapy based on reactivation of the regenerative potential of the adult lung

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K17750
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55040:Respiratory surgery-related
• Research Institution: Yamaguchi University
• Principal Investigator: Shimizu Yuki 山口大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 助教 (20789482)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 肺胞上皮細胞 / 過伸展刺激 / 肺胞隔壁増生

Outline of Final Research Achievements

When MLE12 was subjected to extension stimulation (extension rate 20%, extension frequency 15 times/min, 12 hours), cell migration in the two-dimensional direction was markedly inhibited while maintaining cell proliferative ability, and those cells were The cells were converted from type I alveolar epithelial cells (AT1) to type II alveolar epithelial cells (AT2), some of which had stem cell characteristics. In addition, the expression of transcription factor X in the nucleus of MLE12 cells tended to increase upon stimulation with elongation.
These results suggest that "physical hyperextension" and "transcription factor X" may be involved as triggers for artificially inducing septation in adult cells.

Free Research Field

実験病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現在までに肺再生に関する多くの研究がなされているが、肺再生機序の解明、および有効な肺再生療法の確立は未だ成されていない。今回の研究成果より、肺胞新生のためには「物理的過伸展刺激」が重要な役割を担っている可能性が示唆された。今後、「転写因子X」との関連も含めて更なる検討を行うことで、人為的に肺胞新生を引き起こすことが可能となるかもしれない。
本研究成果が肺再生療法確立への一助となることが期待される。