New strategy for pancreatic cancer treatment by regulating pancreatic stellate cell activation through autophagy

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H06942
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Digestive surgery
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: ENDO Sho 九州大学, 医学研究院, 共同研究員 (20801749)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-08-25 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 膵癌 / オートファジー / 癌間質相互作用

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) change from a quiescent to activated state in the tumor microenvironment and secrete extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules and cytokines to increase the aggressiveness of tumors. However, it is not clear how PSCs are activated in cancer stroma. We previously reported that autophagy played an important role for the activation of PSCs and its inhibition led to reduce tumor progression and metastasis. In this study, we established pancreatic stellate cells derived from pancreatic cancer and non-pancreatic cancer lesions, and confirmed the difference between these autophagy activities. In addition, we comprehensively analyzed mRNA expression in these pancreatic stellate cells and selected several candidate genes that could be autophagy related genes. These results might be a new strategy for pancreatic cancer treatment.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

膵癌は発見時に既に治癒切除が困難であることが多く、さらに放射線照射や化学療法に抵抗性であるという特徴をもつ。このため、膵癌患者の5 年生存率はここ30 年でほとんど改善なく、治療法の開発は社会的緊急性・重要性が高い。膵星細胞は癌間質中で活性化し、その活性化が膵癌の増殖・転移を促進することは明らかであるが、活性化を誘導する詳細な機序は未だ解明されておらず、この機序の解明は膵癌に対する新たな治療開発につながることが期待される。