Development of nuclear imaging probes for detection of tumor associated macrophages

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K08096
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 52040:Radiological sciences-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: SHIMIZU YOICHI 京都大学, 医学研究科, 講師 (90634212)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 腫瘍随伴マクロファージ / 核医学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been recently reported that M2 type of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM), which exist in solid tumor tissues, promote tumor cell proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis in tumor tissues, and are involved in tumor malignant transformation. In this study, we focused on the fact that mannose receptor (CD206) and Tissue Factor (TF) are highly expressed in M2-type macrophages and used the molecular design concept of "functional unit-bound multifunctional molecular probes" to develop peptides that bind specifically to CD206 and TF and can be synthesized chemically, We developed a peptide-based nuclear medicine diagnostic agent that binds specifically to CD206 and TF and can be chemically synthesized, aiming to develop a nuclear medicine diagnostic method that enables the diagnosis of solid tumors, for which no appropriate method has been available so far.

Free Research Field

核医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、がんの悪性度化に関与するM2型TAMに高発現するTFおよびCD206を標的とした核医学診断剤の開発を行った。今回開発した各薬剤は体内動態等にまだ改善の余地があるものの、M2型TAMのがん悪性度化に関する研究や、TAM標的抗がん剤開発等において、本薬剤を用いた核医学イメージングによりTAMの性状鑑別（M2型分化度など）の評価が可能となり、今後のがん診断、治療研究に貢献できる可能性があると考えている。