Analysis of clathrin adaptor expression and development of novel therapies for pancreatic cancer

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K18126
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55020:Digestive surgery-related
• Research Institution: Fukushima Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Muto Makoto 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 助手 (10791478)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 膵癌 / クラスリンアダプター / スーパーアパタイトナノ粒子法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study was to investigate the function of clathrin adaptor, which is associated with intracellular vesicle trafficking, in pancreatic cancer.
In this study, we focused on AP-1, and immunohistochemistrical staining was performed to analyze the association between prognosis and AP-1 expression. As a result, 5-year survival rate was worse in high AP-1 expression group, and AP-1 expression was showed as a poor prognostic factor of pancreatic cancer. We knock-downed AP1G1(γ-adaptin), subunit of AP-1, in pancreatic cancer cell lines, and western blotting was performed to analyzed the change of protein expression which is associated with tumor progression. As a result, EGFR expression was suppressed. This study showed that AP-1 was associated with tumor growth of pancreatic cancer via EGFR expression.

Free Research Field

膵癌

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

膵癌は最も予後不良な癌のひとつであり、新規治療薬の開発は急務である。本研究ではAP-1がEGFRの発現と関連して、膵癌の予後不良因子である可能性が示唆された。この結果は、膵癌の腫瘍増殖の病態理解を深めるとともに、新規治療薬開発の一助となる可能性がある。このように本研究が膵癌研究に与える影響は大きく、その学術的・社会的意義は重要であると考えられる。