Searching for food components to promote removal of mutant cells

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K07726
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Food science
• Research Institution: Hirosaki University
• Principal Investigator: Nagaosa Kaz 弘前大学, 地域戦略研究所, 准教授 (70401891)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 中井 雄治 弘前大学, 地域戦略研究所, 教授 (10321788)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 癌予防 / 変異細胞除去 / 食品 / 細胞競合 / ショウジョウバエ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

There are many mutant cells which may turn to be tumor cells, in our body. Elimination of these cell would be important to prevent cancer. Using functional foods is good idea to facilitate the reaction, because intake of foods is an easy daily approach.
For finding such foods, we constructed the screening system using Drosophila, and found four foods which facilitated mutant cell-removal from 21 of candidates. Two of them also suppressed mutagen-derived Drosophila death, strongly suggested that they are cancer-preventing foods. Further investigation is required to determine whether this function is due to the removal of mutant cells. We also identified the functional components from one of the four. It will be possible to elucidate the mechanism for promoting mutant cell-elimination, using these molecules.

Free Research Field

生体防御学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により変異細胞の除去を促進する食品4品が見出された。うち2品（食品A、B）では変異原による動物個体の死が抑制され、A、Bの癌予防作用が強く示唆された。これらは新たな作用機序に基づく癌予防食品となることが期待される。哺乳類動物実験等を経て実用化が可能となれば社会的に大変意義深いものとなる。また、食品Cについては機能性成分の特定に成功した。これを利用した変異細胞除去促進機構の解析が可能となった点は学術的な意義は大きい。