Development of Therapies against Hepatocellular Carcinoma Stem Cells via Regulation of Autophagy Activity

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K16364
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55020:Digestive surgery-related
• Research Institution: Okayama University of Science (2019-2020); Yamaguchi University (2018)
• Principal Investigator: Nobuyuki Fujiwara 岡山理科大学, 獣医学部, 助教 (30805875)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: cancer stem cell / autophagy / PP6

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Initially, our plan was to develop an anticancer strategy to specifically inhibit autophagy in cancer stem cells by focusing on the regulatory mechanism of autophagy, which we had previously elucidated. However, as the expression of PP6, a protein phosphatase, was found to be up-regulated in cancer stem cells, I changed the goal of the project, thinking that clarifying the regulatory mechanism would lead to drug discovery targeting cancer stem cells. As a result, we found that PP6 is regulated by autophagy and that PP6 suppresses autophagy.

Free Research Field

腫瘍生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでにProtein phosphatase 6　(PP6)は、様々ながん種で遺伝子が変異していることや
発現が変化することが報告されており、がんにおいて重要な因子であることは認識されているがPP6発現がどのように制御されているかは全く明らかになっていなかった。本研究によりPP6の発現制御機構の一端が明らかにできたことにより、様々ながん種の発生メカニズムの解明や治療法の開発の一助となることが期待される。