Evaluation of immune cells and cancer malignancy in colorectal cancer stroma

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K10668
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Digestive surgery
• Research Institution: Osaka International Cancer Institute
• Principal Investigator: Nishimura Junichi 地方独立行政法人大阪府立病院機構大阪国際がんセンター(研究所), その他部局等, 消化器外科副部長 (20379209)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 香山 尚子 大阪大学, 高等共創研究院, 准教授 (40548814)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 大腸癌 / 間質 / 免疫細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Colorectal cancer originates from epithelial cells and invades the stroma of the colon, but immune cells present in the stroma are known to help or suppress the infiltration of cancer. This time, we focused on the interstitial immune cells of colorectal cancer and compared the ratio of immune cells in individual cases with the characteristics of individual colorectal cancers and blood tests. As a result, it was suggested that CRP and Hb are associated with immune cells in the blood test. In addition, these results were similar in the examination of pathological immunostaining. Thus, it was found that there is a relationship between colorectal cancer and cancer stromal immune cells, and host status and cancer stromal immune cells.

Free Research Field

消化器外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今回の研究において、大腸癌の間質の免疫担当細胞は大腸癌の進行度などの状態と、患者の炎症所見などの状態と関連することが示唆された。大腸癌のみに注目した大腸癌に対する治療方法の開発だけでなく、大腸がんに罹患した患者のもともとの免疫細胞の状態や大腸癌罹患中の炎症の状態により免疫担当細胞の比率が変化することが分かった。これらの解析を進めることで、大腸癌に対する治療において個々人の免疫状態を加味した新たな治療方法の開発が進むことが期待される。