Identification of anti-inflammatory subsets of MSCs and their clinical application

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K19552
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 56:Surgery related to the biological and sensory functions and related fields
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: SAITO Taku 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 准教授 (30456107)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小俣 康徳 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 特任准教授 (40570734)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 整形外科学 / 変形性関節症

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Mesenchymal stem cells have been used in the treatment of a wide range of diseases, including osteoarthritis, due to their ability to suppress the proliferation and activity of lymphocytes and to control excessive inflammation. Meanwhile, it has been hypothesized that within the synovium of joints, various subsets of fibroblast-like cells exist, some of which have the ability to suppress joint inflammation. In this study, analysis of synovial samples obtained during surgery from osteoarthritis patients revealed the identification of a subset of synovial fibroblasts that possess the ability to suppress excessive activity of immune cells. This subset expresses common markers with endothelial cells and was found to inhibit the proliferation of T cells.Currently, efforts are underway to investigate the conditions for inducing this subset artificially.

Free Research Field

整形外科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

関節の恒常性維持や変形性関節症の病態を握る鍵は滑膜であることが分かっており、また我々のこれまでの研究によって、間葉系幹細胞を用いた変形性関節症治療の作用点は滑膜であることも明らかとなっている。滑膜がどのように関節を維持しているかを知る手がかりが明らかとなったことで、間葉系幹細胞を用いた治療を改善させる余地が生まれたほか、新たな変形性関節症の治療法開発に繋がる可能性も期待される。