Establishment of an analyzing system on the biological rhythm of diurnal primates

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K20864
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 10:Psychology and related fields
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Tominaga Keiko 大阪大学, 大学院生命機能研究科, 准教授 (60256196)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 岡村 均 京都大学, 医学研究科, 研究員 (60158813)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 概日リズム / 睡眠覚醒リズム / 体内時計 / マーモセット / 昼行性霊長類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Establishing a biological rhythm analysis system using diurnal animals similar to humans has been a long wait for understanding the mechanism of the human biological clock and diseases. In this study, we established an experimental system that can stably measure biological rhythms in small diurnal primates, common marmosets, over a long period. Using this experimental system, we found that the marmoset's behavior, body temperature, and sleep-wake rhythm are all very similar to those of humans. This experimental system is expected to advance our understanding of the internal clock system of diurnal primates and to be applied to the development of model systems for human biological rhythm diseases and the search for methods of prevention and treatment of such diseases.

Free Research Field

時間生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で確立した、ヒトの生体リズムにきわめて類似した特徴を示す昼行性霊長類マーモセットの生体リズム解析系は、ヒトでは実施が困難な実験へと応用可能である。生体リズム障害モデルの確立、生体リズム障害の発症機構解明、さらにその治療法・予防法の探索、などを分子レベルで検討する研究へと発展が期待される。本実験系は、ヒトの生体リズム障害の機構解明に多くの手がかりを提供できると期待され、その社会的・医学的意義はきわめて大きい。