Correlation between oral tumor malignancy and growth, and environmental factors

• Project/Area Number: 16K20576
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Surgical dentistry
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Sakakibara Akiko 神戸大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (00569866)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,030,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥930,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
• Keywords: TRPVイオンチャネル / TRPチャネル / TRPVチャネル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Malignant tumors, especially squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity, include smoking, alcohol consumption, and other physical stimuli as risk factors for the development of cancer.　Recently, it has been shown that TRP (transient receptor potential) ion channels, which are receptors for physical stimulation, are expressed in the epithelial system. We have analyzed the correlation between TRP and carcinogenesis to prevent carcinogenesis and to control tumor progression in cancer-bearing patients.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

口腔扁平上皮癌でのTRPVの発現量の増加を明らかとした。これが細胞の『増殖』に働くのであれば外刺激の除去を、『アポトーシス』に働くのであれば刺激を与えることで、癌の治療に応用できる。つまりTRPVのアゴニストあるいはアンタゴニストが抗腫瘍薬として使用できる可能性がある本研究ではわれわれの日常生活における外的刺激を中心として、その発癌および癌の進行との相関を探るための礎を築く物で、新しい概念の確立を目指すとともに、予防医学的にも極めて重要な成果が得られるものと考える。