リンパ節が臓器の代用に？
(c) flickr & cleverdame107
リンパ節の中で，他の臓器の細胞や組織が増殖・機能できることがマウスを使った実験で示された。臓器移植の代わりに細胞だけをリンパ節に移植する方法が可能となるかもしれない。臓器移植のドナー不足の問題から，必要な細胞だけを移植する方法が検討されたが，病気に冒された臓器には細胞が定着しにくかった。そこで，体内に多く存在し血流も豊富なリンパ節への移植が研究された。今回，重篤な肝疾患に罹ったマウスのリンパ節に健康な肝細胞を移植すると，肝機能を持つ結節が成長し死亡を防いだ。また，免疫細胞を産生する臓器，胸腺のないマウスでは，リンパ節に胸腺組織を移植すると正常な免疫機能が回復した。（吉田素子）
Liver Cells, Insulin-Producing Cells, Thymus Tissue Can Be Grown in Lymph Nodes, Pitt/McGowan Team Finds
Lymph nodes can provide a suitable home for a variety of cells and tissues from other organs, suggesting that a cell-based alternative to whole organ transplantation might one day be feasible, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and its McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. In a report recently published online in Nature Biotechnology, the research team showed for the first time that liver cells, thymus tissue and insulin-producing pancreatic islet cells, in an animal model, can thrive in lymph nodes despite being displaced from their natural sites.
Hepatitis virus infection, alcoholic cirrhosis and other diseases can cause so much damage that liver transplantation is the only way to save the patient, noted senior investigator Eric Lagasse, Pharm. D., Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Pathology, Pitt School of Medicine. Children with DiGeorge syndrome lack functional thymus glands to produce essential immune cells, and diabetes can be cured with a pancreas transplant.
“However, the scarcity of donor organs means many people will not survive the wait for transplantation,” said Dr. Lagasse, whose lab is at the McGowan Institute. “Cell therapies are being explored, but introducing cells into tissue already ravaged by disease decreases the likelihood of successful engraftment and restoration of function.”
In the study, his team tested the possibility of using lymph nodes, which are abundant throughout the body and have a rich blood supply, as a new home for cells from other organs in what is called an “ectopic” transplant.
［単語和訳］
Liver Cells：肝細胞 Insulin-Producing Cells：インスリン産生細胞 Thymus：胸腺 Tissue：組織 Lymph Nodes：リンパ節
a variety of：様々な organs：臓器 –based：～に基づく transplantation：移植 feasible：実行可能な according to：～によると researchers：研究者 Regenerative Medicine：再生医学 online：オンラインで Biotechnology：バイオテクノロジー（Nature Biotechnologyは雑誌名） pancreatic islet cells：膵島細胞 thrive：成長する being displaced：移されること
Hepatitis virus infection：肝炎ウイルス感染 alcoholic cirrhosis：アルコール性肝硬変 senior investigator：研究責任者 Pharm. D.：医師をMDと呼ぶのと同様の薬剤師の称号 Ph.D.：博士 associate professor：准教授 Pathology：病理学 DiGeorge syndrome：ディ・ジョージ症候群 thymus glands：胸腺 immune cells：免疫細胞 diabetes：糖尿病 pancreas：膵臓
scarcity：不足 donor：ドナー lab：研究室 Cell therapies：細胞治療 ravaged：ひどく破壊された likelihood：見込み engraftment：生着 restoration：回復
abundant：豊富な ectopic：異所性の transplant：移植
