Pericyte-mediated wound healing and spontaneous functional recovery after ischemic stroke

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20H03791
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 56010:Neurosurgery-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Kitazono Takanari 九州大学, 医学研究院, 教授 (70284487)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 吾郷 哲朗 九州大学, 医学研究院, 准教授 (30514202)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 脳梗塞 / 組織修復 / 神経機能回復 / ペリサイト / マクロファージ / オリゴデンドロサイト前駆細胞 / 細胞外マトリックス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the relationship between tissue repair and functional recovery after brain infarction using a mouse permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion model. We have demonstrated that the recruitment of pericytes around endothelial cells within infarct areas that occurs after brain infarction not only contributes to the generation of blood flow and BBB reconstruction, but also plays a decisive role in macrophage recruitment, debris removal, and fibrotic tissue repair within infarct areas. Furthermore, we have elucidated the mechanism by which intra-infarct tissue repair induces neurological function recovery and proposed the concept of “wound healing in brain infarction”. The tissue repair mediated by pericytes and macrophages within infarct areas occurring during the subacute stage is considered to be a viable therapeutic target for functional recovery after brain infarction.

Free Research Field

脳血管障害

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

脳梗塞は日本人の代表的国民病である。近年rt-PA静注療法や脳血管カテーテルによる血栓除去療法など超急性期治療が急速に普及してきたが，急性期以降の機能回復を促進する薬物治療は未だ存在しない．発症後1-3ヶ月の間に生じる内因性機能回復には個体差もあるが、その分子細胞機構も未だ不明である．高齢化社会における寝たきり・介護を減らすためには、脳梗塞機能回復過程の分子細胞機構を解明し、新たな治療法を開発することが喫緊の課題である。本研究課題は、脳梗塞亜急性期以降に生じる脳梗塞内部の組織修復が機能回復をもたらすことを明らかにし、この観点から治療開発を目指すものである。