Japan Society for the Promotion of Science:Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research
Date (from‐to) : 2012/04 -2014/03
Author : ITO Takashi; MINAMINO Tohru
Chronic inflammation underlies most age-related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative disorder. This research focuses on a phenomenon called cellular senescence, in which multiple genes associated with inflammation are upregulated. We identified CDC42 as a regulator of inflammatory genes in senescent vascular cells, and also as a regulator of atherosclerosis in mice. CDC42 was the cause of short lifespan of mutant worms with immune over activation, a model for chronic inflammation of mammals. These results suggest that CDC42 has a critical role in chronic inflammation and age-related diseases.