Development of a novel cell based regenerative therapy

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24659908
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Orthodontic/Pediatric dentistry
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAMURA Takashi 東北大学, 歯学研究科(研究院), 准教授 (90585324)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 幹細胞 / 組織再生 / 未分化間葉細胞 / 小分子化合物 / 骨芽細胞 / ヘッジホッグ / 幹細胞ニッチ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The balance of sustainable production of maintenance and regenerating tissue component cells of stem cells is crucial in the tissue regeneration therapy with stem cells. Vascular endothelial cells, there is microenvironment where keep the production balance and maintain progenitor cells of the hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow tissues are called the vascular niche. However, the detail mechanisms of the functional maintenance in vascular niche by various factors secreted from vascular endothelial cells are still not fully understood. We focus on Wnt and Hedgehog signaling which is believed to also play an important role in the vascular niche and analyze both molecular signals in the maintenance of stem cells and cell fate determination in undifferentiated mesenchymal cells. We identified novel small molecules, which promote osteoblastic differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells effectively.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学