Study of cancer-related fatigue and cachexia from the point of view of neuroinflammation

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H02724
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 51030:Pathophysiologic neuroscience-related
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Yosky Kataoka 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 生命機能科学研究センター, チームリーダー (40291033)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: がん性悪液質 / がん関連疲労 / 神経炎症 / 中枢神経 / 顕微内視鏡 / 広域電子顕微鏡

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have prepared cancer-bearing mice, and evaluated the induction of cancer-related fatigue and cachexia by monitoring weight loss and skeletal muscle atrophy in those mice. Observation of cancer micro-environment and cancer cell proliferative activity under the cachexia by using fiver bundle-based micro-endoscopy revealed that heterogeneity of tumor tissue including generation of hypoxic regions was involved in the induction of cachexia. Particularly, cancer microenvironment is thought to affect systemic organs through neuroinflammation in the brain and dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system.

Free Research Field

生理学・組織学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

がん関連疲労およびがん性悪液質は、がん患者にとって深刻な苦痛であり、さらにがん治療継続の意思決定にも強く関わるため、患者の予後に大きく影響する。こうした病態に対して医学的対策の重要性が認識されてきたにも関わらず、現在もその発生メカニズムは十分わかっておらず、予防・治療法も確立されていない。本研究により腫瘍内の環境と脳機能や全身臓器のはたらきとの関係が明らかになれば、がん関連疲労およびがん性悪液質の予防・治療法の開発が大きく前進するため、社会的意義はきわめて大きい。