2026-05-12 英国研究イノベーション機構（UKRI）
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.ukri.org/news/blood-test-enables-earlier-detection-of-heart-and-kidney-disease/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-71848-4
内皮細胞と赤血球のグリコカリックス交換により、内皮機能の液体生検が可能になる Endothelial-erythrocyte glycocalyx exchange enables liquid biopsies of endothelial function
Matthew J. Butler,Raina R. Ramnath,Michael Crompton,Jasmine Aldam,Monica Gamez,Colin Down,Charley Heffer,Chris Neal,Jialu Li,Yan Qiu,Laura Carey,Laura Skinner,Stephen Cross,Yamaguchi Yu,Judit Sutak,Victoria Bills,Gavin I. Welsh,Rebecca R. Foster & Simon C. Satchell
Nature Communications Published:12 May 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71848-4
Abstract
The luminal surface of blood vessels is covered by a hydrated mesh of sugars and proteins termed the endothelial glycocalyx. The glycocalyx forms a permeability barrier and helps regulate leucocyte migration. Directly detecting glycocalyx damage could provide a major advance in vascular health monitoring. Here we show that red blood cell glycocalyx mirrors the endothelial glycocalyx in health and disease. Using peripherally sampled blood, we confirm that red blood cell glycocalyx measurements predict cardiac and renal endothelial glycocalyx alterations and direct measures of endothelial barrier function in male rats. To investigate the underlying mechanism, we use Azide-Alkyne cycloaddition (‘Click’ chemistry) to confirm that contact between endothelial and red blood cells results in continual reciprocal transfer of glycocalyx components. These discoveries facilitate real-time monitoring of endothelial damage in patients whilst simultaneously providing a potential explanation as to how red blood cells maintain their glycocalyx during circulation.
