2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Microvascular pericytes: possible regenerative targets in ALS
| Project/Area Number |
26461288
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Neurology
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| Research Institution | Tohoku University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
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| Keywords | 臨床神経分子遺伝学 / 神経再生 / 神経変性 / 運動ニューロン |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disease characterized by systemic loss of motor neurons. In adult brain and spinal cord, endogenous regenerative responses cannot lead to sufficient tissue repair, although neural stem/progenitor cells reside along the central neuraxis. However, non-neuronal cells such as glial cells and microvascular components are activated and proliferate by various insults including neurodegeneration.
In the present study, we examined a possible regenerative response in an ALS rat model. In contrast to controls, multiple immunohistochemistry revealed a significant increase of newborn microvascular pericytes in the ALS rat spinal cord. As compared with vehicle-treated group, intrathecal infusion of a maintaining factor for pericytes significantly augment the newborn pericytes and attenuated the loss of ventral horn neurons in the ALS rats. The pericytes may, therefore, be a novel therapeutic target in ALS.
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| Free Research Field |
医歯薬学
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