Study on cell fate commitment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K08149
• 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: Akita University
• Principal Investigator: Nakayama Katsutoshi 秋田大学, 医学系研究科, 教授 (40321989)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 荒屋 潤 東京慈恵会医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (90468679)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: COPD / トロンボスポンジン-1 / 細胞老化 / コロナ禍での肺がん検診

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We focused on thrombospondin-1 (TS-1) as a key molecule in smoking-induced inflammatory signals in COPD and revealed that TS-1 expression was increased in the airway epithelium of COPD. We also investigated the effects of IL-1beta, IL-8, and IL-13 on smoking-induced cellular senescence, and confirmed that IL-1beta promoted cellular senescence, but the effects of IL-8 and IL-13 were unclear. During the study period, the COVID-19 pandemic caused great difficulties in sample collection, so we investigated the state of suppression of lung cancer screening in Akita Prefecture during the pandemic. It was suggested that participation in lung cancer screening decreased, especially among the elderly, and that this may have led to a decrease in lung cancer diagnoses, resulting in a decrease in the number of early lung cancer registrations.

Free Research Field

呼吸器内科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

COPD病態成立におけるTS-1の重要性が明らかになりつつあり、TS-1によるIL-8の誘導性や肺機能との関連も検討中である。新型コロナ禍における、肺がん検診の受診状態の検討では、高齢者が感染に対するSocial Stigmaにより集団肺がん検診を避け、早期肺がん診断の妨げになった事が示唆された。感染症罹患に対するSocial Stigmaの解消と肺がん検診の重要性の啓蒙が大切であると考えられた。