novel therapeutic strategy for liver cancer in reference to the correlation of sarcopenia with Apelin-APJ system

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K18122
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55020:Digestive surgery-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: MOTOMURA Takashi 九州大学, 医学研究院, 共同研究員 (50719507)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: サルコペニア / Apelin / 微小血管

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Among consecutive 60 cases of resected intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma, the expression of Apelin and microvascular surface were checked by immunohistochemistry staining.The microvascular surface was significantly higher in high Apelin expression group (p=0.03). High Apelin expression group tended to be younger (62 year-old vs 67, p=0.06). CEA, a tumor marker, was significantly lower in high Apelin group (3.19 ng/ml vs 7.11 ng/ml, p=0.04). Patients were divided into two: sarcopenia(n=12) and non-sarcopenia group (n=48) by gait speed, grip strength and muscle area in CT scan images. Intratumor Apelin expression was significantly higher in sarcopenia group (p=0.008). The long term survival was similar between high and low Apelin groups. But the 5-year overall survival was significantly worse in sarcopenia group (17% vs 72%).

Free Research Field

肝臓

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

高齢者においてApelin発現が低いことはNat Med 2018の既報に合致することで、さらにサルコペニア群でApelin発現が低いことも確認できた。一方でApelinは微小血管新生を促進させることもわかった。しかしながらサルコペニアは有意な予後不良因子であることが確認できた一方、Apelinの発現自体では長期生存率に差はないことから、Apelinは癌の予後を増悪させることなくサルコペニアの治療ターゲットとなり得るかもしれない。細胞や動物を用いた研究での確認が待たれるが、高齢化が進む本邦においてサルコペニアと癌の新規治療戦略につながる発見は社会的意義が大きいと考えられる。