The effect of local reactivation of cytomegalovirus in ulcerative colitis-related colorectal cancer

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K07947
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 53010:Gastroenterology-related
• Research Institution: Sapporo Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Kawakami Kentaro 札幌医科大学, 医学部, 研究員 (60758712)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 仲瀬 裕志 札幌医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (60362498)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 潰瘍性大腸炎 / サイトメガロウイルス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Our goal was to elucidate the role of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in ulcerative colitis-related carcinogenesis. (1) In experiments using mouse CMV latently infected mice, it was difficult to obtain sufficient numbers of mice due to the frequent occurrence of early death in the mouse CMV-administered group. With the study of Wild Type mice that have survived, we confirmed that the expression of IFN-γ was increased in real-time PCR. However, it is a crucial task that obtain sufficient mice by improving the breeding conditions. (2) CMV immunostaining was performed on human colitic cancer specimens, but CMV positive cells could not be detected in both neoplastic lesions and non-neoplastic mucosa. We considered that it would be insufficient to detect the reactivation of CMV with immunohistological evaluation.

Free Research Field

炎症性腸疾患

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

潰瘍性大腸炎の長期経過症例では、腸炎を背景とした大腸癌を合併するリスクが高くなる。一方、CMV感染は潰瘍性大腸炎の難治および慢性炎症持続に寄与する要因の１つであることが知られている。したがって、CMV感染による慢性炎症の持続は、潰瘍性大腸炎関連大腸発癌と関連するものと推測され、マウスCMV潜伏感染モデルを作成し検討を行うことを目標としてきた。現段階で得られている成果は、CMVと炎症性発癌の相関関係を根本的に解明するものではない。今後も実験を継続し、潰瘍性大腸炎関連発癌の予測の観点から、CMV治療を行う意義について明らかにしたい。