A role of microRNA-205 associated with delta-Np63 in oral squamous cell carcinoma

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K17200
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 57060:Surgical dentistry-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Hashiguchi Yuma 九州大学, 歯学研究院, 共同研究員 (80805268)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: OSCC / EMT / microRNA / miR-205 / ZEB

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recently, epitherial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in the process of invasion and metastasis of cancer. We have shown that EMT is induced by ΔNp63β, a splicing variant of ΔNp63, in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Furthermore, recent findings suggest that microRNA (miRNA) is involved in the molecular mechanism. We found that miR-205 plays an important role downstream of ΔNp63 and regulates its expression by targeting mesenchymal markers such as ZEB1 and ZEB2, which are associated with EMT.

Free Research Field

口腔外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は口腔扁平上皮癌における浸潤・転移の分子メカニズムの一部にΔNp63と関連してmicroRNA（miR-205）が関与している可能性を示した。癌の転移は生命予後を左右する重要な要素で有り、口腔癌においても頸部リンパ節転移や他臓器への遠隔転移は予後に大きく関与し、やはりその制御は未だ十分ではない。本研究のように癌の浸潤・転移の分子メカニズムを部分的にでも明らかにしていくことにより、新たな標的として治療方法を確立することで、口腔癌の治療成績のさらなる向上へ役立てることが出来ると考えている。