Development of a new stratification for clinical cancer to use cancer/testis antigens expression patterns compared with those in gametogenesis

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K16578
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Digestive surgery
• Research Institution: Kitasato University
• Principal Investigator: Fukuyama Takashi 北里大学, 北里大学メディカルセンター, 上級研究員 (10462251)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 癌/精巣抗原 / 生殖細胞成熟過程 / 悪性形質獲得 / 胃癌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In gametogenesis, it is known that cancer / testis antigens have consistent expression patterns at each stage. On the other hand, cancer / testis antigens are known to be expressed even when malignant traits are acquired (carcinogenesis). We hypothesized that the pattern of cancer / testis antigen expression might have regularity not only in the germ cell maturation process but also in carcinogenesis.
In the present study, we analyzed the expression of cancer / testis antigens by increasing malignant traits in mice and verified the hypothesis. Furthermore, Kita-kyushu lung cancer antigen-1 was identified as a cancer / testis antigen expressed in human gastric cancer in the early stage of canceration, and its expression was proved to be related to H. pylori.

Free Research Field

腫瘍免疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ゲノム不安定性を有する生殖細胞の成熟過程と発癌過程において、癌/精巣抗原が発現するという共通点があり、本研究により、それらの過程における発現パターンは逆相関を呈することが明らかとなった。各臨床癌の癌/精巣抗原の発現パターンを生殖細胞成熟過程のそれと照らし合わせることにより、その臨床癌がどのステージの癌細胞であるかを層別化できる可能性を示すことができた。癌/精巣抗原による層別化は、効果的な治療方法の選定に有用であると考えられる。