Analysis of pathogenesis of mixed-type hepatic cancer; hepatic-progenitor-cell-dependent liver regeneration induced by hepatectomy in transgenic mice

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H06904
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Digestive surgery
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Sasaki Naoya 京都大学, 医学研究科, 客員研究員 (70783249)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-08-26 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 癌幹細胞 / 肝癌 / 肝再生 / 発癌 / 遺伝子改変動物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Primary hepatic cancer mainly consists of hepatocellular carcinoma and bile duct carcinoma. Rarely mixed-type hepatic cancer has both of these pathological characteristics, and it is known as poor-prognosis hepatic cancer. In normal liver, hepatic cells and bile duct cells are derived from hepatic progenitor cells. We hypothesized that the mixed-type hepatic cancer is originated from hepatic progenitor cells.
To substantiate the hypothesis, we successfully generated transgenic mice in which hepatic progenitor cells highly proliferate. After massive hepatectomy in normal adult mouse, both mature hepatocytes and progenitor cells proliferate to compensate the hepatic volume loss. But in our transgenic mice, proliferation of the mature hepatocytes is suppressed, thus only the progenitor cells proliferate after hepatectomy. Now we are analyzing the hepatic regeneration pattern in the transgenic mice.

Free Research Field

腫瘍生物学