Basic research of custom-made chemo heavy-ion radiotherapy based on EGFR expression difference for lung cancer

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K10490
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Radiation science
• Research Institution: Saitama Medical University
• Principal Investigator: TAKAHASHI TAKEO 埼玉医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (70241883)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 重粒子線 / 抗癌剤 / 非小細胞肺癌 / 放射線治療 / アポトーシス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In addition to superb physical dose distribution, heavy-ion beam (carbon beam) has a high relative biological effectiveness against X-rays and is particularly effective for radioresistant tumors. A good local control effect has been reported for many radioresistant tumors such as head and neck non-squamous cell carcinoma and bone and soft tissue tumors, and some have been covered by insurance. In this study, we carried out a basic research of heavy-ion radiotherapy with chemotherapy for lung cancer using human lung cancer cells. It was clarified in a cultured cell experiment that the combined use of an anticancer drug used for lung cancer and heavy-ion beam irradiation enhances the cell killing effect and a synergistic effect is observed. The synergistic effect was significant with or without the EGFR mutation. The mechanism of synergistic effects involved early apoptosis after irradiation and senescence 3 days after irradiation.

Free Research Field

放射線治療生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

重粒子線（炭素線）治療は難治性の放射線抵抗性腫瘍に対して有効であり、前立腺癌や骨軟部腫瘍、頭頸部癌（非扁平上皮癌）が保険適応となっている。物理学的線量分布と生物学的効果が極めて高い治療のため、局所効果が極めて良好で副作用の少ない治療が可能である。よって今後は死亡数の多く、局所制御効果が不良な局所進行肺癌に対しても、適応の拡大が期待される。標準的化学療法と重粒子線治療との併用の有効性が確立すれば、社会的な意義が高い。
本研究では培養細胞実験で重粒子線（炭素線）と殺細胞性抗癌剤の併用効果を確認し、相互作用のメカニズムを解明する意義の高い研究である。