Interstitial pneumonia microenvironment enhances lung cancer progression

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K19988
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Respiratory surgery
• Research Institution: University of Miyazaki (2017-2018); Fujita Health University (2016)
• Principal Investigator: MAEDA RYO 宮崎大学, 医学部, 講師 (00648769)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 肺癌 / 間質性肺炎

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Therapeutic options for lung cancer patients with interstitial pneumonia (IP) are severely restricted in fear of life-threatening acute exacerbation of IP by anticancer treatment. Bleomycin-induced IP environment in the lungs promoted the metastases of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells to the mediastinal lymph-nodes or contralateral lungs in a syngeneic orthotopic model of lung cancer. Treatment with pirfenidone (PFD), a drug clinically used for treating IP, inhibited BLM-induced metastasis of LLC cells. These results demonstrate the role of inflammatory microenvironment associated with IP in lung cancer progression, and provide a rationale for clinical studies on the use of PFD, alone or in conjunction with conventional chemotherapy, in lung cancer patients with IP.

Free Research Field

呼吸器外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

間質性肺炎合併肺がん患者に対してのがん治療は、その急性増悪という観点から、十分になされていないのが現状である。この現状を打破するために、間質性肺炎合併肺がん患者に対する革新的治療戦略を構築することが必要である。本研究から、抗線維化薬を投与し間質性肺炎を制御することが、間質性肺炎合併肺がんに対する新規治療戦略となり得る可能性が示唆された.