A New Diagnostics Method for Refractory Heart Failure

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24591097
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Circulatory organs internal medicine
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: ASANO YOSHIHIRO 大阪大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (60527670)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): HIGO Shuichiro 大阪大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (00604034) ; TSUKAMOTO Osamu 大阪大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (80589151) ; MINAMINO Tetsuo 大阪大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (30379234) ; KATO Hisakazu 大阪大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 特任研究員 (30589312) ; OGITA Hisakazu 滋賀医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (50379236) ; SANADA Shoji 大阪大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (70593797)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: エピゲノム / 細胞核クロマチン / 難治性心不全 / 分子循環器病学 / 臨床循環器

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Higher order structures in the cell nucleus have been demonstrated to change during development and differentiation. Such structural remodeling occurred in the cell nucleus can be observed as changes in high electron density areas called chromatin by electron microscopy. Alterations in nuclear chromatin structure have been reported some relation with physiological changes. Based on our experimental findings of chromatin remodeling as an upstream of pathological gene expression in cardiomyocytes, we focused on changes in nuclear chromatin structure of cardiomyocytes in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Using our original quantitation methods to analyze the ultrastructure of chromatin, we conducted a retrospective observational study assessing the ability to identify the DCM patients with severe heart failure at risk for poor outcomes, and to make an accurate and an early determination of the indication for some ventricular assist devices to support the failing heart.

Free Research Field

分子循環器病学