Epigenetic effects on the onset of Periventricular Leucomalacia

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25461660
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Embryonic/Neonatal medicine
• Research Institution: Institute for Developmental Research, Aichi Human Service Center
• Principal Investigator: Hosokawa Masanori 愛知県心身障害者コロニー発達障害研究所, 病理学部, 所長兼部長 (00127135)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 脳室周囲白質軟化症 / 白質障害 / 実験モデル / オリゴデンドロサイト系譜細胞 / ミエリン形成不全

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemia is a condition that result in severe neurologic deficits in children. Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), a brain hypoxic-ischemia affecting premature infants is commonly associated with cerebral palsy. A brain of premature infants is particularly susceptible to cerebral white matter injury that disrupts the normal progression of developmental myelination. In this study, we investigated pathogenesis of PVL using induced culture cells and animal models. While we are performing experiments, we found that (1) monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), an important factor in neuroinflammation, regulates phagocytosis, but not LPS-mediated cytokine induction in microglia. (2) Cholesterol trafficking in immature oligodendrocytes play an important role in maturation of the cells and myelination. These findings will provide a possible preventive approach for white matter injury in PVL.

Free Research Field

実験病理学