The roles of senescence-related exosomes in the lung cancer microenvironment

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K17649
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 53030:Respiratory medicine-related
• Research Institution: Jikei University School of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Fujita Yu 東京慈恵会医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (10737133)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: エクソソーム / 特発性肺線維症 / 肺がん / SASP

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) was reported to be associated with increased risk of lung cancer as a result of the occurrence of atypical or dysplastic epithelial changes in fibrosis which progressed to invasive malignancy. Although exosomes, a type of extracellular vesicles (EVs), have emerged as new players in intercellular communication, their role in the function of senescent cell secretome in the IPF pathogenesis has been largely unexplored. Here, we found the roles of senescence-related exosomes in the lung cancer microenvironment. To elucidate the mechanisms of lung cancer development through senescent-related exosome transfer will lead to a new therapy against IPF and lung cancer.

Free Research Field

呼吸器内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

IPFは、進行性の難治性疾患であり肺がんを効率に合併する。現状これらの病態の理解は不足しており、肺線維化とがん悪性化の関連性がエクソソームで解明されることで、新しい治療法に繋がることが期待される。IPFは、世界的に見ても死亡率の高い疾患であり、新規治療法が開発されれば、その社会的意義は十分大きいものと考えられる。