Mechanism of (S)-erypoegin K having tumor cell-specific cytotoxicity

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K08311
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Natural medicines
• Research Institution: Meijo University
• Principal Investigator: Kaneda Norio 名城大学, 薬学部, 教授 (00144139)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 村田 富保 名城大学, 薬学部, 准教授 (80285189)
• Research Collaborator: Hikita Kiyomi ; Imanishi Susumu
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 抗腫瘍活性物質 / イソフラボン / ヒト白血病

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We isolated an isoflavone from stem bark of Erythrina poeppigiana which is effective against human leukemia and gastric cancer cells. The isoflavone named as erypoegin K shows cancer-specific activity because it showed very weak toxicity toward human normal lymphocytes.　Erypoegin K also showed anti-tumor activity, when administered intraperitonealy, against the tumor-bearing mouse with a xenograft of human gastric cancer cells. The growth inhibitory effect on tumor cells was comparable or stronger than that of 5-fluorofracil, one of the typical anti-tumor agents. We found that erypoegin K can inhibit the enzyme activity which is involved in cell division in the cell cycle. It was suggested that erypoegin K may be a useful and effective lead compound for the development of new anti-tumor drugs.

Free Research Field

薬学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現在、日本人の死因の3分の1はがんであることから、新しい抗がん剤の開発は社会的に重要な課題である。我々は植物に含まれる抗がん活性を有する化合物の中から、(S)-エリポエギンKというイソフラボン化合物を発見した。本化合物はヒト白血病や胃がん細胞に対して有効で、その作用機構は細胞の分裂に関与する酵素の阻害であることが示唆された。本研究は新規の抗がん剤を開発するための基本化合物となる可能性がある。