Analysis of PRMT5 in head and neck cancer progression

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K17106
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Pathobiological dentistry/Dental radiology
• Research Institution: Jichi Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Amano Yusuke 自治医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (70571587)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 口腔病理 / 口腔扁平上皮癌 / PRMT5 / EMT

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the present study, I immunohistochemically examined the expression of Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMT) 5 in surgically resected oral epithelial dysplasia (OED, n=8), carcinoma in situ (CIS) (n=11) and OSCC (n=52) with or without contiguous OED lesions. In the normal epithelium, PRMT5 was weakly expressed in the cytoplasm of basal layer cells. In OED, CIS, and OSCC, its expression consistently and uniformly increased in the cytoplasm of dysplastic and cancer cells. Moreover, nuclear and cytoplasmic localization was detected in the invasive front of cancer cells, particularly in cases showing poor differentiation or aggressive invasion patterns. The concomitant nuclear and cytoplasmic expression of PRMT5 correlated with the loss of E-cadherin and cytokeratin 17, and the upregulation of vimentin, features that are both indicative of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

Free Research Field

口腔病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

PRMT5は上皮異形成の段階から発現が正常組織に比して増加し, OSCCの浸潤先進部における細胞質から核と細胞質への局在の変化には, EMTが関与することが示唆された.
すなわち, PRMT5はOSCCにおける病態形成初期から関与し, 局在の相違は悪性度や浸潤様式に関与することが明らかにされ, その機構の解析が今後の検討課題とされた.