March 13, 2024
Fujita Health University
Keio University
A research group led by Yuji Okano (6th-year student, Keio University School of Medicine / Visiting Researcher, Fujita Health University), Yoshitaka Kase (Project Lecturer, Keio University School of Medicine / Lecturer, Fujita Health University), and Hideyuki Okano (Professor, Keio University School of Medicine / Guest Professor, Fujita Health University) has elucidated that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) creates an environment favorable for nerve regeneration by inducing temporal changes in gene expression regulation within spinal cord injury tissue.
Previously, our research group, in collaboration with the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Keio University School of Medicine, had succeeded in dramatically enhancing the regenerative therapeutic effect of neural stem cell transplantation by pre-administering HGF to the injured tissue before transplanting human iPS cell-derived neural stem cells into spinal cord-injured rats.
However, it was not well understood what kind of gene regulation was responsible for the regenerative effect after HGF administration, nor was it clear when the best time to transplant the neural stem cells would be after HGF administration (i.e., immediately or after several days).
The results of this study revealed that the effects of HGF have three components: an "initial effect," a "continuous effect," and a "delayed effect." By obtaining evidence for the mechanism of this combination therapy of HGF administration and neural stem cell transplantation, we have been able to advance toward the future clinical application of regenerative therapy in terms of both safety and therapeutic efficacy.
The results of this research will be published in the online edition of the international academic journal *Inflammation and Regeneration* on Wednesday, March 13, at 9:00 a.m. (JST).
The full press release is available below.