Establishment of diagnostic method for recurrence and metastasis of oral cancer by plasma metabolomics analysis

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K17291
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Surgical dentistry
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Kimoto Akira 神戸大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (30597167)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 口腔がん / メタボローム解析 / スクリーニング / 再発 / 転移

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The findings from our plasma metabolomics analysis for patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC) suggest four metabolites as biomarker candidates of OSCC for screening. In this study, plasma samples were collected regardless of early cancer patients, advanced cancer patients, and patients with recurrence and metastasis. While oral cancer is easy to diagnose by visual inspection at the advanced stage, it is difficult to diagnose early-stage cancer from an oral potentially malignant disorder. Hence, by conducting metabolomics analysis focusing on the early stage, there is a possibility that it can contribute to the discovery of early stage that is hard to diagnose by screening at visual inspection. Ultimately, it contributed to the early detection and early treatment of OSCC, leading to an increase in the survival rate of patients and an improvement in quality of life.

Free Research Field

口腔外科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

口腔がんの代表的な腫瘍マーカーにはSCC 抗原があるが、これは正常な扁平上皮にも存在し、がん以外の疾患でも陽性となるなど、その感度は極めて低い。今回の研究において、口腔がんの血漿メタボローム解析を行うことで、SCC抗原と比較しより感度の高い代謝物を探索、発見することができた。これらの代謝物は、口腔がんの早期発見に寄与する可能性がある。これにより、早期発見・早期治療が可能になり、さらには生存率の向上、早期治療による合併症の軽減、生活の質の向上をもたらしうると考えられる。