Development of novel therapy based on the analysis of lung cancer stem cells.

• Project/Area Number: 18K16412
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55040:Respiratory surgery-related
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Yuichi Sakairi 千葉大学, 医学部附属病院, 講師 (30551949)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2023)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
• Keywords: 肺癌 / RNA / 肺癌幹細胞 / 癌幹細胞 / 組織幹細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The mechanism by which cancer stem cells cause relapse and recurrence due to their resistance to therapy is known but has not been identified in lung cancer. The ultimate goal of this study is to identify cancer stem cells in lung cancer and analyze their functions to identify new therapeutic target molecules. We have discovered that some tissue stem cells proliferate rapidly after culture, resulting in monoclonal proliferation and abnormal telomere length elongation. We considered these changes to be cancer stem cell transformation of lung tissue stem cells and that further understanding of cancer stem cells and development of novel therapies are possible through functional analysis of these cells. We collected isolated and sorted viable cells from lung resection specimens and analyzed them by RNA sequencing.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

癌幹細胞の研究により、これまでと異なる軸の新規治療法が開発できる可能性がある。肺癌における癌幹細胞の確定的なマーカーは同定されておらず、そのため肺癌幹細胞はいまだ同定されていない。引き続き得られたデータを解析し、癌患者におけるヒト組織幹細胞からの癌化のメカニズムを検討することで新しいアプローチで癌幹細胞の同定・新治療の開発を目指す。