Anti-tumor approach based on the understanding of NFAT-EC activation system

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H03580
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Tumor biology
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: Minami Takashi 熊本大学, 生命資源研究・支援センター, 教授 (00345141)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 血管内皮細胞 / 血管新生 / NFAT / ダウン症因子 / EndMT / 転写因子 ERG / 転写因子 FLI1 / がん微小環境

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Endothelial cell (EC) plasticity in pathological settings has been recognized as a driver of disease progression. Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), in which ECs acquire mesenchymal properties, has been described for a wide range of pathologies, including cancer. However, the mechanism regulating EndMT in the tumor microenvironment and the contribution of EndMT in tumor progression are not fully understood. Here we found, combined knockdown of ERG and FLI1, induces EndMT coupled with dynamic epigenetic changes in ECs. Genome-wide analyses revealed that ERG/FLI1 are critical transcriptional activators for EC-specific genes, among which miR-126 partially contributes to blocking the EndMT induction. Moreover, we demonstrated that ERG and FLI1 expression is declined in ECs within tumor by soluble factors enriched in the tumor microenvironment. These data provide new insight into the mechanism of EndMT, functions of ERG and FLI1 in EC, and its behavior in pathological condition.

Free Research Field

血管生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

内皮活性化に関わる NFAT/DSCR-1経路において、DSCR-1はダウン症の発症要因となる一方、DSCR-1 自体のトリソミー発現がダウン症の固形がん罹患率減少の主因となり、抗がんや抗転移における優れた有効性を持つ。また、がんの悪性化、転移において腫瘍血管内皮の EndMT 現象が関与することが考えられ、その分子メカニズムの一端が解明されたことにより、今後抗がんにおける腫瘍血管の動態解析の重要性が再認識され、新規な DSCR-1 安定化剤の創薬や臨床アプローチが進むことが期待される。