Elucidation of distant metastasis mechanisms in drug-resistant breast cancer and development of novel molecular-targeted therapies.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K18064
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55010:General surgery and pediatric surgery-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: NISHIKAWA SAYAKA 名古屋市立大学, 医薬学総合研究院(医学), 研究員 (80781848)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 乳癌 / SDPR

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To improve the treatment outcome of breast cancer, it is necessary to elucidate the mechanism of distant metastasis of breast cancer and to develop novel therapeutic agents. Recently, it was reported that the SDPR gene is involved in distant metastasis of breast cancer, and we initiated this study in the belief that SDPR could be a new therapeutic target for breast cancer.
Using clinical specimens from breast cancer surgeries performed at our hospital, we showed that patients with low expression of SDPR had a significantly poorer prognosis. Subsequent studies were conducted by breast cancer subtype, but no association was found between low expression of SDPR and prognosis in any of them. The study was reexamined and repeated, but unfortunately, the conclusion was reached that “low expression of SDPR is not significantly correlated with breast cancer prognosis.

Free Research Field

乳癌

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

乳癌は一旦遠隔臓器に転移を来すと治癒することはなく、患者は死に至る。乳癌における遠隔転移のメカニズム解明とその治療成績の向上が緊急の課題である。
乳癌の遠隔転移に新規転移抑制遺伝子SDPRが関与することが報告された。SDPR遺伝子が新たな治療ターゲットとなり、新規分子標的治療薬が開発され、乳癌治療成績を向上させることができれば、社会に与える効果は大きいと考えた。近年、癌領域でのSDPRの役割についても徐々に明らかになりつつあり注目されていたが、本研究結果から、SDPR低発現と乳癌予後には有意な相関関係は認めず、新規治療薬の候補にはならないことが示された。