在短時間內製造出大量血小板的機制被發現

A few weeks ago the NHK News on-line reported the following:

血小板を短時間に大量に作る仕組み 発見

5月11日 23時06分

出血を止める血液の成分である血小板を短時間で大量に作る仕組みを、栃木県下野市の自治医科大学などの研究グループが新たに発見し、献血で不足しがちな血小板の確保につながると期待されています。

研究を行ったのは、自治医科大学の西村智教授や京都大学ｉＰＳ細胞研究所の江藤浩之教授などのグループです。
研究グループは、動物の骨髄細胞まで観察できる新たな顕微鏡を開発し、血小板の生成過程を詳しく研究した結果、けがなどの炎症で血小板が必要になると、細胞が破裂するようにして、通常よりも短時間に大量の血小板が作られる仕組みがあることを新たに発見しました。
この仕組みは、けがをしたときや急激に血小板が減少した際に一時的に見られるため、これまでの研究では見逃されていたということです。
血小板は体の傷口を塞ぐ働きを持つ血液の重要な成分で、手術後の輸血などで使われていますが、長期間の保存ができないため、研究グループは献血だけでは不足しがちだった血小板の確保につながる発見だとしています。
研究グループは「今回の研究は医学の教科書を書き換えるような新しい発見で、人工的に血小板を作る技術に応用し、早く実用化を目指したい」としています。

(試譯文)

A study group from Jichi Medical School in Tochigi prefecture Shitano city had newly found the mechanism that made platelet, an ingredient of the blood in stopping breeding, at a short time in large quantities. It led to an expectation to secure platelet which was often lacking in blood donation.

The study was done by a group formed by Prof. Satoru Nishimura of Jichi Medical School together with Prof. Hiroshi Eto of the Kyoto University iPS Cell Research Center.

The development of a new microscope which could observe even a marrow cell of an animal had resulted in a close study by this group on the production process of platelet. When an inflammation from injury etc. occurred platelet was needed and the cell busted, the study group newly found the mechanism that a great deal of platelet were made in a time shorter than usual.

About this mechanism, it was said that it could be seen temporarily in the moment of injury when platelet decreased suddenly. This was overlooked by former studies.

Platelet was an important ingredient in blood that played a role in closing a wound of the body; it was used in blood transfusion after an operation. But because long period preservation was not possible, it was assumed that this discovery by the study group had led to the securing of platelet that was often lacking in blood donation.

For this study group it was supposed that "the new discovery of this study could lead to the rewriting of the medical textbook. We would like to aim at practical usage and an early application of this technology in making platelet artificially".

I think this is an important discovery in the medical field.