Attract to kill therapy applying chemotaxis for malignant glioma

• Project/Area Number: 18K15203
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 50010:Tumor biology-related
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Motegi Hiroaki 北海道大学, 大学病院, 助教 (40748844)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2021)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,030,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥930,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
• Keywords: glioma / chemotaxis / ケモタキシス / 悪性グリオーマ / ケモカイン / 遊走 / 浸潤 / CXCR4 / glioblastoma / 悪性神経膠腫 / 悪性脳腫瘍 / 膠芽腫細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Glioblastoma treatment is performed by local treatment such as surgery and radiation therapy and systemic treatment by administration of anticancer drugs, but there is no remarkable improvement in treatment results. As a new treatment concept, we focused on the possibility of the concept of "attract to kill therapy" in which chemotaxis is applied to guide the glioma to the intended site and expose it to more concentrated local treatment. It was confirmed that chemokine receptors were expressed in the glioma cell line, and that the ligand, one chemokine, ”chemokine X”, stimulated cell migration. From the above, it was suggested that it may be possible to attract and trap glioma cells to the area of intensive topical treatment, which forms the root canal of the concept of "attract to kill therapy".

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果により、新たな治療コンセプトである“誘殺療法“の可能性が示唆された。同部実験によっても細胞移動が確認された場合、誘導部位へ濃厚な治療を加える事で、腫瘍縮小や予後延長効果などが期待できる。脳実質内へケモカインXを注入する際の基材の研究を行う事で、より効率的なケモカインの留置が可能となり、実際の治療へ応用できた場合、他の癌腫への応用も期待できる。