Novel therapeutic and imaging system for cancers using enzymatic amplification

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K19148
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 37:Biomolecular chemistry and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: KATAYAMA YOSHIKI 九州大学, 工学研究院, 教授 (70284528)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: がんイメージング / がん化学療法 / DDS / 蛍光イメージング / 酵素標識

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We aimed to create a new molecular system that can improve imaging ability or therapeutic effect by accumulating fluorescent molecules or drugs specifically for cancer cells by utilizing the reaction of the enzyme labeled on the antibody against the target cancer cells. As a result of the examination, we succeeded in developing a molecule that can acquire reactivity to proteins by enzymatic reaction, and succeeded in accumulating fluorescent molecules specifically for target cancer cells.
In addition, as a result of searching for enzymes that do not have endogenous activity in human cells, which are necessary for putting this concept into practical use, and actually expressing them and evaluating their activities, we succeeded in obtaining five new enzymes. It was also confirmed that human cells do not actually have endogenous activity. Thus, we succeeded in obtaining an effective tool for realizing the concept.

Free Research Field

生体関連化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

がんのイメージングや化学療法では、いかに検出分子や薬剤そのもののがん特性を確保するかのみに注力されてきた。しかし、この戦略のみではがん細胞と他の非標的細胞の間のコントラスト向上には限界がった。本研究で基本を確立した分子システムは、抗体に標識した酵素により、さらに蛍光分子や薬剤の集積を増幅することで、非標的細胞とのコントラストを大きく改善し、検出感度や治療効果を大きく改善できる可能性があり、がんイメージングやがん化学療法に新たな可能性を拓く意義がある。