A research group led by Professor Noriaki Ohuchi at Tohoku University Hospital Cancer Center, Doctor Yoh Hamada at Tohoku University Hospital, and Senior Assistant Professor Kohsuke Gonda at Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine has developed an optical system to analyze the mechanism of angiogenesis with the highest spatial accuracy in the world, and has performed in vivo imaging of ischemic mouse model at the molecular level. As a result, the research group has revealed that several-fold difference in vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF-R) distribution induces continuous angiogenesis in vivo. This mechanism is different from previous data, thus this finding is expected to be applied to the new treatment method for arteriosclerotic diseases.

 Arteriosclerotic diseases including cerebral and myocardial infarction account for one-third of causes of death in Japan. Understanding the mechanism of angiogenesis is essential for treatment of such diseases. It was believed that 10- to 20-fold overexpression of VFGF-R, one of the cell membrane proteins, is important for the formation of vasculature. Here, we developed new in vivo imaging system to observed ischemic model mice and discovered that only 3-fold increase of VFGF-R distribution on vessel wall can induce continuous angiogenesis (during 3 weeks) for the first time in the world.

 Our optical system in this study is expected to elucidate the molecular mechanism of angiogenesis under the physiological environment. In addition, the result indicates that only several-fold increase of VFGF-R concentration can induce site-specific angiogenesis, which is effective for treatment of ischemia derived from arteriosclerotic diseases. Since this mechanism enables us to limit the treatment areas for arteriosclerotic diseases, it is expected to be applied to the new local treatment method with fewer side effects. The research result has been published online in Blood on September 29, 2011. The paper's title is "In vivo imaging of the molecular distribution of the VEGF receptor during angiogenesis in a mouse model of ischemia".

More information (Japanese)

[Contact]

(About the research)

Senior Assistant Professor Kohsuke Gonda

Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

Address: 5S04 Innovation of New Biomedical Engineering Center

1-1 Seiryo-machi Aoba-ku Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan

TEL/FAX: +81-22-717-7579

E-Mail: gonda*m.tains.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Doctor Yoh Hamada

Tohoku University Hospital

Address: 5S04 Innovation of New Biomedical Engineering Center

1-1 Seiryo-machi Aoba-ku Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan

E-mail: yhamada*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Professor Noriaki Ohuchi

Tohoku University Hospital Cancer Center

Address: Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine Building No.2 9F,

1-1 Seiryo-machi Aoba-ku Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan

TEL: +81-22-717-7210 FAX: +81-22-717-7217

E-Mail: noriaki-ohuchi*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

(Public Relations)

Associate professor Fuji Nagami

Public Relations Office of Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

Address: Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine Building No.1 2F,

2-1 Seiryo-machi Aoba-ku Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan

TEL: +81-22-717-7908 Fax: +81-22-717-8187

E-mail: f-nagami*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)