Roles of epigenome readers in environmental adaptation

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K19513
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 54:Internal medicine of the bio-information integration and related fields
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: Hino Shinjiro 熊本大学, 発生医学研究所, 准教授 (00448523)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞記憶 / エピゲノム / 栄養環境

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Environmental stress factors such as nutrition exert significant influences on our long-term health but the molecular mechanisms remain obscure. In this study, we examined the effects of metabolic stress such as malnutrition, mitochondria damage, and lactic acidosis on gene expression and epigenome formation. We gained insights into how these factors alter gene expression in the long term, and how they affect the cellular features such as growth, survival, and cell fate. Our findings would contribute to the development of health care strategies for the prevention of metabolic disorders and other stress-induced diseases.

Free Research Field

エピジェネティクス

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

超高齢社会である日本において、継続的な加療を要する慢性代謝疾患の医療効率化は喫緊の課題である。生活環境ストレスの蓄積が慢性疾患の土台であるとすると、ストレス記憶の遮断により持続的な医療効果が期待できる。このような発想は以前から存在するが、科学技術的な障壁により実現に至っていない。本研究の成果は、新たな医療技術の開発だけでなく、栄養素や機能性成分の適切な摂取による健康増進法の開発に貢献するものである。