Comprehensive analysis of immune microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H07089
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Human pathology
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Kurebayashi Yutaka 慶應義塾大学, 医学部(信濃町), 助教 (40805123)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-08-25 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 肝細胞癌 / 肝 / 免疫 / 微小環境

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To analyze the patterns of anti-tumor immunity against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we performed multi-color immunohistochemistry to histopathologically evaluate various immune cells and analyzed the number and distribution of each type of immune cells using microscopy. Consequently, we revealed that the patterns of anti-tumor immunity against HCC can be classified into 3 patterns, among which "Immune-high pattern" was characterized by the co-infiltration of T cells and B/plasma cells and significantly associated with better prognosis after surgical resection of HCC. We also revealed how the pattern of anti-tumor immunity changes during the course of multi-step carcinogenesis of HCC.

Free Research Field

人体病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

癌に含まれる多様な免疫細胞がどのような組み合わせて浸潤して免疫微小環境を形成しているのかに関しては不明な点が多かった。本研究の学術的意義は、肝細胞癌における免疫微小環境の全体像を組織病理学的に最も直接的な形で示すことで、その疑問に答えた点にある。社会的意義としては、免疫微小環境の分類が、従来の病理学的・分子生物学的分類に加えて肝細胞癌の予後予測因子として重要であり、臨床病理学的にも応用が可能であることを示した点が挙げられる。