2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Role of serine/arginine-rich protein kinase in the formation of choroidal neovascularization

Research Project

Project/Area Number	23592547
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Research Field	Ophthalmology
Research Institution	Hokkaido University
Principal Investigator	SAITO Wataru 北海道大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 特任准教授 (00339160)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	NODA Kousuke 北海道大学, 大学院医学研究科, 准教授 (90296666)
Project Period (FY)	2011 – 2013
Keywords	眼細胞生物学 / 滲出型加齢黄斑編成 / 脈絡膜血管新生 / 血管内皮増殖因子 / SR蛋白質リン酸化酵素
Research Abstract	Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a primary cause of visual loss in developed countries. Recent studies have provided strong evidence that growth factors and cytokines, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), play a pivotal role in the process of pathological angiogenesis, choroidal neovascualization (CNV) in AMD. The alternative splicing of VEGF pre-mRNA is regulated by splicing regulatory factors including various serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins, which are activated by SR protein kinase (SRPK). In this study, we elucidated that a specific inhibitor for SRPK, SRPIN340, attenuates CNV formation in laser-induced CNV model.