Characters of stem cells from salivary carcinoma cells

• Project/Area Number: 17K11396
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Otorhinolaryngology
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: Ijichi Kei 名古屋市立大学, 医薬学総合研究院(医学), 研究員 (50510278)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 足立 誠 朝日大学, 歯学部, 講師 (10468192) ; 江崎 伸一 名古屋市立大学, 医薬学総合研究院(医学), 講師 (20620983)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥3,250,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥750,000)
• Keywords: 唾液腺癌 / 低酸素 / CD44 / HIF-1a / 幹細胞 / 癌 / 遺伝子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Both A-253 and NCU-SCD1 cell lines had a very low percentage of CD44 positive cells. Therefore, it was difficult to obtain sufficient amount of CD44 positive cells and to compare them with CD44 negative cells. Therefore, we examined the percentage of CD44-positive cells in various cell lines, including squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and primary culture lines. When subcutaneous tumors were generated in mice, some of the cells contained CD44-positive cells, suggesting that the inoculated cells were differentiating to form tumors.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は唾液腺がん幹細胞の低酸素環境における動態を解明し腫瘍微小環境におけるがん幹細胞を標的とした治療法、治療薬開発などの臨床応用を展開することを目的とした研究である。低酸素で癌が悪性化する機序として低酸素が候補として考えられているが、低酸素で活性化される経路を解明することにより、適切な治療ターゲットの選別に寄与すると考えられる。