Elucidation of the role of bone marrow-derived cells in the formation of pre-metastatic niche in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K17224
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 57060:Surgical dentistry-related
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Kawai Hotaka 岡山大学, 医歯薬学域, 助教 (10803687)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 口腔扁平上皮癌 / 腫瘍微小環境 / 前転移niche

Outline of Final Research Achievements

When tumors metastasize to distant organs, the ease of metastasis varies from organ to organ. In recent years, it has become clear that this difference is related to a microenvironment called the "pre-metastatic niche. The "pre-metastatic niche" is a microenvironment formed in remote organs under the influence of tumors, and tumor metastasis is established using this microenvironment as a foothold.
In this study, we examined the properties of bone marrow-derived cells in high-metastasis and low-metastasis organs by using tumor-transplanted mice with good tumor growth and mice with poor tumor growth. The results showed that Arginase1-positive MDSCs were more abundant in high metastatic organs and were involved in the formation of metastatic niche.

Free Research Field

腫瘍微小環境

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでの研究により、肺癌や肝臓癌、大腸癌、卵巣癌などにおいて前転移nicheが形成されているとの報告があるが、本研究の結果により、口腔癌においても一部遠隔臓器で自身の免疫応答を抑制しながら前転移nicheを形成し、腫瘍の転移を促進していることが明らかとなった。したがって、口腔癌において前転移niche形成を抑制することで、腫瘍の転移を事前に制御することが可能になると考える。