Intraoperative treatment targeting tumor-specific podoplanin for malignant gliomas

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K09476
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 56010:Neurosurgery-related
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: Natsumeda Manabu 新潟大学, 脳研究所, 助教 (00515728)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: NIR-PIT / Podoplanin / Glioma

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We established an intraoperative antibody treatment (near-infrared photoimmunotherapy) for glioblastomas, a very malignant brain tumor, by targeting the surface antigen podoplanin. First, we assessed podoplanin expression in glioblastomas and found that podoplanin is expressed in over 90% of all glioblastomas. Next, we used 3 podoplanin-positive and 3 podoplanin-negative glioblastoma cell lines and found that the podoplanin antigen was expressed at the surface of podoplanin-positive cells. Lastly, we successfully performed in vitro and in vivo experiments by administering podoplanin-IR700 complex to podoplanin positive cells and xenograft mice and treating with infrared laser. Next, we seek clinical application of this method.

Free Research Field

脳神経外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

近赤外線光線免疫療法はEGFR増幅頭頸部癌やHER2陽性乳癌で臨床応用されつつあるが、膠芽腫への臨床応用は未だされていない。今回、我々の研究により膠芽腫に特異的な表面マーカーで正常脳には殆ど発現していないポドプラニンを同定し、それを標的とした近赤外線光線免疫療法に成功した。膠芽腫は極めて予後不良な脳腫瘍であり、その新規治療法の確立は急務である。臨床応用まで実現すれば、膠芽腫の予後が飛躍的に向上する可能性が有り、社会的意義は高い。