2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Reconstitution and functional control of the female reproductive tract through spatiotemporal intervention into the tissue-specific stem cells
| Project/Area Number |
23249076
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Obstetrics and gynecology
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| Research Institution | Keio University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
MARUYAMA Tetsuo 慶應義塾大学, 医学部, 講師 (10209702)
UCHIDA Hiroshi 慶應義塾大学, 医学部, 講師 (90286534)
YAMASAKI Akiko 慶應義塾大学, 医学部, 研究員 (60528777)
MASUDA Hirotaka 慶應義塾大学, 医学部, 助教 (80317198)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2011-04-01 – 2014-03-31
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| Keywords | 幹細胞 / 子宮内膜 / 子宮平滑筋 / 子宮内膜症 / 子宮筋腫 / 再生医学 / 脱細胞化 |
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| Research Abstract |
The aim of this study was to reconstitute normal and abnormal uterus in vivo through spatiotemporal intervention on uterine stem cells. First, we have developed a novel in vivo endometrial stem cell assay using a cell tracking method in combination with an endometrial reconstitution system, which reveals that endometrial side population (ESP) cells are the most likely candidate for endometrial stem cells. The stem cell-like properties of ESP cells suggest their involvement in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Second, we uncovered a paracrine role of the WNT/beta - Catenin pathway that enables mature myometrial or leiomyoma cells to send mitogenic signals to neighboring tissue stem cells in response to estrogen and progesterone,leading to the growth of uterine leiomyomas. Finally, we have developed decellularization and recellularization techniques for the rat uterus, generating structural and functional uterus in vitro and in vivo.
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