Elucidation of gastric carcinogenesis mechanism focusing on suppression of oncostatin M signal

• Project/Area Number: 18K15806
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 53010:Gastroenterology-related
• Research Institution: University of Toyama
• Principal Investigator: Nanjo Sohachi 富山大学, 学術研究部医学系, 助教 (70649285)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2022)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥900,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
• Keywords: 胃がん / DNAメチル化 / OSMR / Oncostatin M

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The expression of human OSMR gene was shown to be regulated by DNA methylation in the promoter region. It was found that it was hardly expressed in the normal human gastric mucosa, and was hardly expressed in the gastric mucosa infected with Helicobacter pylori. On the other hand, OSMR was highly expressed in some gastric cancers, and all of the highly expressed cancers were diffuse-type gastric cancers. Stimulation of rat normal gastric epithelial cells RGE with OSM increased the cell proliferation rate, indicating that OSM has the effect of promoting cell proliferation.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

びまん型胃がんの増殖にOSMとOSMRが結合することで細胞内に伝わるシグナルが関与している可能性が示唆された。びまん型胃がんの発生や進展のメカニズムの解明につながる可能性があり、さらには治療方法の開発にもつながる可能性がある。一般的にびまん型胃がんは悪性度が高く予後が悪いことから、びまん型胃がんの発生・進展メカニズムの解明および治療方法の開発は胃がん患者の予後改善につながる点で社会的な意義が大きい。