Profiling analysis of circulating microRNA expression in endometrial cancer

• Project/Area Number: 18K09301
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 56040:Obstetrics and gynecology-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Nishi Hirotaka 東京医科大学, 医学部, 主任教授 (60307345)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 山中 善太 東京医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (30816757)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2022)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
• Keywords: miRNA / 子宮体癌 / 腫瘍マーカー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We comprehensively investigated miRNAs in the blood of endometrial cancer patients using microarrays, and identified miRNAs as tumor marker candidates. Quantitative analysis of these miRNAs in the blood of healthy subjects, patients with endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer by real-time RT-PCR method showed that each expression level of miR-1275 and miR-4306 significantly correlated with clinical background as a tumor marker. However, all candidate genes identified by in silico analysis did not correlate with the expression of miR-1275 and miR-4306.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今回の成果から血清中miR-1275およびmiR-4306の発現は、感度・特異度に優れた子宮体癌のバイオマーカーとなる可能性が高く、診断キットなどへの応用が比較的容易に行えるものと思われる。また、末梢血によるアッセイであるため、検査方法も患者に対し低侵襲である。そのため、本研究で得られる成果をもとに、企業等との共同開発による診断キットなどを通じて子宮体癌の新たな診断方法の確立ができれば社会的意義があるものと考えている。