Development of Elastic Fiber Regeneration Method

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K19361
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 48:Biomedical structure and function and related fields
• Research Institution: Kansai Medical University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAMURA Tomoyuki 関西医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (20362527)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞外マトリックス / 弾性線維

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Tissue elasticity in organs such as skin, arteries, and lungs is conferred by an extracellular matrix named elastic fiber. Aging-associated deterioration of elastic fibers causes loose skin, arteriosclerosis, and emphysema, while there is no known method to regenerate elastic fibers. In this study, we searched for candidate target molecules for elastic fiber regenerative agents using an elastic fiber assay system with human skin fibroblasts and an siRNA library, and identified dozens of candidate target molecules.

Free Research Field

病態分子医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

老化に伴って私達の体は伸縮性を失ってゆく。皮膚はたるみ、動脈は硬くなり、肺が縮みにくくなって呼吸機能が低下する。これらは、伸縮性を担う弾性線維が劣化・断裂していくことに起因する。弾性線維のターンオーバーは極めて遅く、成長期を過ぎると弾性線維は再生されないとされる。本研究では、これまでにない弾性線維再生薬の標的となりうる候補分子を複数見いだした。