label-free detection and typing of amyloid using structure-specific autofluorescence

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K19242
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 42:Veterinary medical science, animal science, and related fields
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Murakami Tomoaki 東京農工大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 准教授 (10728447)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-06-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: アミロイドβ / 認知症 / 自家蛍光

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Amyloid β (Aβ) is an abnormal protein that accumulates in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. In this study, we analyzed Aβ lesions in squirrel monkey brains using our originally developed hyperspectral fluorescence microscope and found that squirrel monkey Aβ has a fluorescence spectrum with a characteristic bimodal peak under UV excitation. Similar analyses were performed on Aβ lesions of chimpanzees, rhesus monkeys, fuchs monkeys, white rhesus macaques, and flamingos. The fluorescence spectrum of Aβ lesions of chimpanzees was similar to that of squirrel monkeys, while the fluorescence spectra of other animal species were very different. Based on Raman spectroscopic analysis of squirrel monkey and rhesus monkey brain tissue, it was suggested that some chemical modification contributed to the differences in fluorescence spectra, but this could not be identified.

Free Research Field

獣医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により、天然由来の何らかの蛍光物質が、Aβ病変の自家蛍光に関与している可能性が高いことが明らかとなった。また、その蛍光物質を組織切片より分離させる条件を決定した。この生体由来色素は天然のアミロイドプローブとして、アミロイドPET等に利用できる可能性がある。アルツハイマー型認知症は社会問題化しており、その診断に資する天然プローブの発見は社会的意義が大きい。