The impact of microRNA-449a on the cancer malignancy such as cancer stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and glycolysis.

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K16257
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55010:General surgery and pediatric surgery-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokushima
• Principal Investigator: ISHIKAWA Daichi 徳島大学, 大学院医歯薬学研究部(医学域), 徳島大学専門研究員 (70633882)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: miR-449a / 大腸癌 / 胃癌 / HDAC1 / 癌幹細胞 / 上皮間葉転換 / 解糖系

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The significance of microRNA-449a (miR-449a) was investigated in colorectal cancer and gastric cancer. Using the surgically resected specimens (Colorectal cancer: n=72, Gastric cancer: n=66), expressions of miR-449a were evaluated and correlation to clinicopathological factors was examined. The expression of HDAC1 was inversely correlated to miR-449a expression, suggesting the HDAC1 could be the target-gene of miR-449a. The patients with low miR-449a expression had poorer prognosis after surgery. In gastric cancer, the expression of miR-449a was lower in the tumor tissue compared to non-tumor tissue. Serum expression of miR-449a was correlated to the expression of miR-449a in the tumor tissue. The serum expression of miR-449a was lower in the dedifferentiated cancer. miR-449a might be useful for the biomarker in the colorectal and gastric cancer.

Free Research Field

癌分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

miR-449aの機能・制御機構については不明であったが、今回の研究成果により標的遺伝子HDAC1が同定され、miRNA-449aが大腸癌、胃癌のバイオマーカーとして機能し、さらには術前の血液解析にて癌組織中miR-449a発現が予測可能であることが分かった。miR-449aが新たなバイオマーカーとして利用できることやmiR-449aをターゲットとした新規治療手段開発につながる可能性を示した。