The relevance of the microenvironment and cancer metastasis of the sentinel lymph node

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K07241
• 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: Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University
• Principal Investigator: Kawai Yoshiko 東北医科薬科大学, 医学部, 教授 (10362112)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 林 もゆる 東北医科薬科大学, 医学部, 助教 (60548147) ; 浅香 智美 東北医科薬科大学, 医学部, 助教 (90555707)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: リンパ循環 / 微小循環 / リンパ浮腫 / センチネルリンパ節

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Lymphatic recanalization failure after lymphadenectomy constitutes a major risk of lymphedema in cancer surgery. It has been reported that GATA2 is expressed in lymphatic endothelial cells and is involved in the development of fetal lymphatic vessels. However, how GATA2 function in recanalization after the surgical extirpation of lymphatic vessels in adult mice has not been elucidated. Employing a new model of lymphatic recanalization, we examined the lymphatic reconnection process in Gata2 heterozygous deficient mice. We found that lymphatic recanalization was significantly impaired in Gata2 heterozygous deficient mice. Our results demonstrate for the first time that GATA2 participates in the regeneration of damaged lymphatic vessels against lymphatic recanalization processes.

Free Research Field

循環生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

リンパ浮腫を合併するEmberger症候群の原因遺伝子であるGata2変異マウスは成体においてもリンパ節切除後の再疎通現象に大きな影響を及ぼすことがわかった。創傷治癒時のリンパ管の適切な再生はリンパ循環の促進につながることから、Gata2遺伝子がリンパ管再生に及ぼす影響やリンパ節への癌転移成立機構について解析を進めることにより、癌転移克服やリンパ浮腫に対する新しい治療への道標となるような研究である。