Innovative comprehensive investigation of the novel target molecule based on the mechanisms of liver metastasis in circulating tumor cells of pancreatic cancer.

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K07222
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 50010:Tumor biology-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University (2020); National Hospital Organization, Kyushu Cancer Center (2018-2019)
• Principal Investigator: IGUCHI Tomohiro 九州大学, 医学研究院, 共同研究員 (30598959)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 杉町 圭史 独立行政法人国立病院機構(九州がんセンター臨床研究センター), その他部局等, 肝胆膵外科医長 (90452763) ; 古川 正幸 独立行政法人国立病院機構(九州がんセンター臨床研究センター), その他部局等, 副院長 (70601912)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 膵癌 / 循環腫瘍細胞 / 肝転移 / RNAシークエンス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) of pancreatic cancer travel from portal vein to hepatic vein through the liver. However, most CTCs have a low metastatic potential and are spoiled in the liver. We expect that CTCs having a high metastatic potential are more frequently seen in hepatic vein than portal vein.
We compared the characteristics of a few CTCs obtained from portal vein and hepatic vein in the patients with pancreatic cancer and suggested that CTCs present in hepatic vein had a higher metastatic potential. Furthermore, there was not a little gene expression differences between CTCs of portal vein and hepatic vein by genome analysis.

Free Research Field

外科系臨床医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

肝静脈血中に含まれる循環腫瘍細胞に特徴的な遺伝子の変化は肝転移形成能の獲得に
つながる新規のドライバー遺伝子であり、治療標的となりうる可能性が高いと考え
られます。今回の研究で明らかとなりつつある門脈血と肝静脈血の循環腫瘍細胞の遺伝子発現の差異により、膵癌肝転移機構が解明されれば、循環腫瘍細胞そのものを治療標的とする創薬基盤を創出する可能性があります。