Regulatory mechanism of cell amount by autonomic nerve signals

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K19303
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 44:Biology at cellular to organismal levels, and related fields
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Imai Junta 東北大学, 医学系研究科, 准教授 (80431500)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-06-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 膵β細胞 / 細胞量制御

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The amount of pancreatic β-cells increases compensatively due to increased insulin demand during pregnancy. On the other hand, the number of pancreatic β-cells returns to the original level after parturition, although the mechanism of this decrease was unknown. This researcher found that macrophages significantly infiltrate islets after parturition, and that inhibiting macrophage infiltration suppresses the decrease in pancreatic β-cell volume after parturition and prevents it from returning to the original levels. Further research on this topic revealed several key molecules for this mechanism of macrophage infiltration of postnatal pancreatic islets, as well as the mechanism by which macrophages are involved in the decrease in postnatal pancreatic β-cells. These results have been published in a scientific journal Developmental Cell (2023;58: 1819-1829).

Free Research Field

代謝学、内分泌学会

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究によって、体の状況に応じて膵β細胞の数が調節され、血糖値が正常に保たれる仕組みが明らかになった。一方、多くの糖尿病は膵β細胞の数が減ることによって発症することから、今回明らかになった膵β細胞を減らす仕組みが必要以上に働いてしまうと糖尿病の発症につながる可能性も考えられる。これらの関連について研究を進めることで糖尿病の予防法・治療法の開発につながることが期待される。