The new cancer therapy of cetuximab through ADCC activity by NK cells

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K11276
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Surgical dentistry
• Research Institution: Kanagawa Dental College
• Principal Investigator: OZAWA SHIGEYUKI 神奈川歯科大学, 大学院歯学研究科, 講師 (40434394)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 近藤 忠稚 神奈川歯科大学, 歯学部, 非常勤講師 (00587727) ; 前畑 洋次郎 神奈川歯科大学, 大学院歯学研究科, 特任講師 (80410009)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: CXCL14 / ADCC / 頭頚部扁平上皮癌 / セツキシマブ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To examine whether NK cells are involved in cetuximab’s antitumor effect, we removed NK cells from mice using anti‐asialo GM1 antibody (antibody that recognizes the glycolipid asialo GM1 expressed on the cell membrane of NK cells) and investigated the results. Although cetuximab tended to have a weaker effect in the group without NK cells, there was no clear significant difference. We investigated the correlation between cetuximab and ADCC activity using an ADCC measurement kit, but we were unable to detect cetuximab-induced ADCC activity in the cell lines we used. We think that perhaps the cancer cells we used had low levels of EGFR expression, which meant we were unable to detect sufficient levels of ADCC activity. Based on the above information, we feel it is essential to use cancer cells with high levels of EGFR expression for future research on ADCC activity.

Free Research Field

口腔外科