Feasibility of organoid models established from bodily fluid for predicting chemotherapy efficacy in gastrointestinal cancer

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K07723
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 50020:Tumor diagnostics and therapeutics-related
• Research Institution: Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research
• Principal Investigator: OOKI Akira 公益財団法人がん研究会, 有明病院 消化器化学療法科, 医長 (50348546)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 芝 清隆 公益財団法人がん研究会, がん研究所 蛋白創製研究部, 部長 (40196415) ; 八尾 良司 公益財団法人がん研究会, がん研究所 細胞生物部, 部長 (80291095)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: がん幹細胞 / オルガノイド / 消化器癌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Organoids was established from the ascites removed for the purpose of symptom relief in patients with severe ascites. Since many patients with severe ascites are not indicated for chemotherapy, it was difficult to evaluate the consistency between the therapeutic effect of organoids and the efficacy in clinical practice. Filtration method was performed for selection of circulating tumor cells based on the different size, but it was difficult to establish organoids because of containing many hematopoeitic cells. In order to remove hematopoeitic cells from whole blood, negative selection depletion method was performed to enrich circulating tumre cells using antibodies that recognizes hematopoeitic cells such as CD45 and subsequent density gradient centrifugation. However, it was still difficult to esablish organoids. There is a need for technical improvements in non-invasive separation accuracy.

Free Research Field

がん幹細胞

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

最小機能単位であるオルガノイドは腫瘍本体の形態・形質・機能を模倣することから研究の応用範囲は多岐にわたり注目されている。オルガノイド樹立のためには組織生検を使用することが一般であるが、侵襲を伴い生検困難な例も少なくない。そのため低侵襲的な方法でオルガノイドを樹立することは臨床的・研究的観点からも意義が大きい。本研究は腹膜播種による腹水からオルガノイド樹立が可能であることを証明したことは大変有意義であると思われる。一方、血液試料からは樹立が困難であったことから、さらなる技術的改良が必要である。