Prediction for HCC development and the effect of statin for NASH patients

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K19940
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Digestive surgery
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: HIGASHI Takaaki 熊本大学, 医学部附属病院, 非常勤診療医師 (70594878)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 非アルコール性脂肪肝炎（NASH） / 非アルコール性脂肪性肝疾患（NAFLD） / 肝細胞癌 / 発癌予測 / 186 gene signature / スタチン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are developed from the background livers such as viral hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, the non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but the mechanism of HCC development and progress is still unclear. In this study, I focused on NASH and NAFLD patients in particular to identify the carcinogenic risk of HCC and biomarker poor-prognosis for NASH and NAFLD. And also I tried to search a drug (statin in particular) which might improve the prognosis.
It was confirmed that 186 gene signature was useful for the HCC prediction of the NASH, NAFLD patients. In addition, I confirmed statin could induce the apoptosis and have the anti-proliferative effects on HCC cell lines in vitro. In clinical cohort, the patients who took statin showed significantly longer disease free survival than ones who didn’t take statin.

Free Research Field

肝細胞癌、発癌予測、化学療法感受性