Effect of peripheral blood-derived epidermal stem cells in diabetic wound repair and its underlying mechanism

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K09801
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 56070:Plastic and reconstructive surgery-related
• Research Institution: Juntendo University
• Principal Investigator: Oomiri Ai 順天堂大学, 医学部, 助手 (60897156)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 表皮幹細胞 / 糖尿病性潰瘍 / 創傷治癒 / 皮膚再生

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Regenerative medicine is expected to play a key role in the treatment of diabetic leg ulcers. The applicant has devised a method to prepare epidermal stem cell marker-expressing (MNC-EK) cells by applying a proprietary ex vivo expansion and culture method to mononuclear cells (MNC) isolated from the peripheral blood of healthy humans. In this study, the aim is to elucidate the mechanism of epidermal stem cell supply in wounds for the treatment of diabetic skin ulcers. When MNC-EK cells were prepared from MNC collected from human peripheral blood and induced to differentiate into epidermal cells, the MNC-EK cells formed many epidermal cell colonies. When these MNC-EK cells were transplanted into immunodeficient diabetic ulcer model mice to examine the therapeutic effect, the ulcers shrank early after transplantation, and eventually healed to nearly 90%.

Free Research Field

形成外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果より、皮膚再生には末梢血由来細胞が関与し糖尿病患者由来末梢血液細胞から再生能力の高い細胞を培養できる方法を確立したことは、皮膚潰瘍治療における革新的皮膚再生治療法へ期待が高まった。糖尿病患者由来末梢血液に含まれる血管再生や皮膚再生に関与する細胞は健常者よりもその機能や数が著しく低下していることが報告されている。この新しい培養法の確立により、少量の末梢血液から再生機能の高い細胞を生み出すため、患者に対しても低侵襲であることから下肢救済への躍進と患者QOL向上に繋がると考える。