Identification of biomarker and therapeutic target for lung cancer

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K07884
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 52010:General internal medicine-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Takano Atsushi 東京大学, 医科学研究所, 特任講師 (50582607)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 醍醐 弥太郎 東京大学, 医科学研究所, 特任教授 (30345029)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 腫瘍学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We detected target nucleotides in exosome by digital PCR and autoantibody against target protein by ELISA.
We select candidate genes that were aberrantly expressed in cancers, but barely expressed in various normal organs. We confirmed the expression of targets in cancer cells and tissues by real-time quantitative PCR, Western blotting, and immunocytochemical staining analyses. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the differences in survival times among cancer patient with or without candidate protein. We confirmed that target protein is essential for cell growth or motility of cancer cells by inhibiting candidate protein expression using siRNAs. Morphological changes of siRNAs-transfected cells by live-cell imaging using time-lapse microscopy were detected. Small compounds against target protein inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

Free Research Field

がんのバイオマーカー、治療標的分子の探索

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

エキソソーム中などに含まれる核酸や血中自己抗体を用いて、がんを早期に検出することは、治癒可能な早期に肺がんを発見可能とし、予後改善につながってくる。一方、がんに特異的な発現をし、正常組織での発現が少なければ、有望ながんの治療標的分子候補となり得る。このような治療標的分子を阻害剤で抑制しても、正常組織への影響は少なく、特異的にがんの増殖を抑制することが可能であり、有望な治療法となりうる。がんの治療は、初回、２回目の治療までは一定の効果はあるが、再発も多く、正常組織への影響の少ない治療薬を長く使用できるようにすることはがん患者の予後改善に有用であると考えられる。