Role of Platelets in Molecular Targeted Drug Resistance Mechanisms of Lung Cancer

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K08622
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 53030:Respiratory medicine-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Kousuke 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 講師 (50644291)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 非小細胞肺癌 / EMT / 血小板

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Platelets are known to play an important role in cancer invasion and metastasis, and have been reported to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and promote invasion and metastasis in colon and breast cancers. However, the impact of platelets on the sensitivity of cancer chemotherapy is not yet clear. Therefore, in this study, a co-culture system of platelets and lung cancer cell lines was established to clarify the role of platelets in drug sensitivity of lung cancer. Co-culture resulted in morphological changes in cancer cells, decreased CDH1 expression, and increased VIM expression, which were considered to indicate EMT induction. EMT is considered to be one of the mechanisms of EGFR inhibitor resistance, but the induction of resistance by co-culture did not show sufficient reproducibility.

Free Research Field

呼吸器内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

血液中の血小板は、上皮間葉移行（EMT）と呼ばれる変化をがん細胞に誘導することで、がんの浸潤・転移に重要な役割を果たしいる。本課題では血小板が肺癌細胞にもEMTを誘導することが確認されたが、EGFR阻害薬という肺癌で広く用い用いられている薬剤の効果への影響は認められなかった。肺癌の治療薬には他にも多くの薬剤があるため、今後他の薬剤を含めた解析が望まれる。