Mechanism of epithelial mesenchymal transition induced by LIGHT/TNFSF14

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24591125
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Respiratory organ internal medicine
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: YAMAUCHI Yasuhiro 東京大学, 保健・健康推進本部, 助教 (00323585)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KOHYAMA Tadashi 帝京大学, 医学部, 教授 (00302703)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): JO Taisuke 東京大学, 保健健康推進本部, 保健センター助教 (30376470)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 上皮間葉転換 / LIGHT/TNFSF14 / E-cadherin / Vimentin

Outline of Final Research Achievements

LIGHT/TNFSF14 has been reported to be up-regulated in airway inflammation in severe asthma and has been recognized to be related to the pathogenesis of severe asthma. LIGHT enhanced TGF-b-induced epithelial mesenchymal transition in vitro, and further LIGHT itself induced epithelial mesenchymal transition in human airway epithelial cells through Erk1/2 pathway. LIGHT would be associated with the pathogenesis of airway remodeling.
In addition, LIGHT induced several cytokines and chemokines from human bronchial epithelia cells, some of which are suggested to be important in the pathogenesis of severe asthma. LIGHT/TNSFS14 would be suggested to be one of the candidates for the molecular target therapy for inflammatory airway diseases, including severe asthma.

Free Research Field

8204　呼吸器内科学