Mechanism underlying anti-cancer effect by cell-cell communication via gap junction

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K15691
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Pathobiological dentistry/Dental radiology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAHAMA Ken-ichi 東京医科歯科大学, 大学院医歯学総合研究科, 准教授 (60281515)
• Research Collaborator: FUKUDA Syuhei 東京医科歯科大学, 大学院医歯学総合研究科, 大学院生
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: ギャップジャンクション

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In multicellular organisms, cell-cell communication is essential to maintain organ and tissue homeostasis. It was reported that cell-cell communication via gap junction was attenuated in many types of cancer. To make clear the role of gap junction in anti-cancer effect, we focused on miRNA movement between normal cells and cancer cells via gap junction in this study. We compared miRNA quantities in normal or in cancer cells before/after their communication was established using miRNA microarray method. Some of miRNA were thought to move between normal cells and cancer cells via gap junction. The roles of these miRNA in cell phenotype are under investigation.

Free Research Field

分子細胞生物学