Establishment of prophylactic peptide vaccine therapy for oral cancer

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K11729
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Surgical dentistry
• Research Institution: Sapporo Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Miyazaki Akihiro 札幌医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (10305237)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小林 淳一 札幌医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (80404739) ; 宮本 昇 札幌医科大学, 医学部, 研究員 (80749565) ; 岡本 準也 札幌医科大学, 医学部, 研究員 (10749592) ; 中井 裕美 札幌医科大学, 医学部, 研究員 (80792126)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: がん免疫療法 / 口腔がん / がんペプチドワクチン療法 / がん特異抗原 / LpMab-23 / がん幹細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We established a cancer cell line and autologous cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) pair in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The CTL clone showed specific cytotoxic activity against autologous and allogenic tumor cells in an HLA-A24-restricted manner. This finding indicated that the CTL clone recognized a tumor associated antigen presented by HLA-A24 cells. Precise analyses of the CTL-recognized antigens may provide us with substantial strategies toward developing a more effective cancer peptide vaccine. We found that it is possible that FoxP3+ T cells may have site-specific anti-tumor effect similar to CD8+ T cells in OSCC tumor infiltrating lymphocytes.
Further, we reported that the reactivity of a novel monoclonal antibody LpMab-23 for human cancer-type podoplanin is a predictor for a poor prognosis of tongue cancer.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

がん幹細胞は、(1)高い造腫瘍能、(2)自己複製能、(3)多分化能を有する少数のがん細胞亜集団で，がんの治療抵抗性獲得や再発・転移に重要な役割を果たしていると考えられる。本研究は、次世代がんワクチンとして期待が高いがん幹細胞特異抗原を標的とするがんワクチン開発に焦点を当てており、口腔がん治療における昨今の集学的治療の問題点や限界を補う新たな治療法となり得る可能性が高い先端的研究に位置付けられる。