Identification of cancer stem cell markers in head and neck cancer

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K18775
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56050:Otorhinolaryngology-related
• Research Institution: University of the Ryukyus
• Principal Investigator: Kondo Shunsuke 琉球大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (90596363)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 頭頚部癌 / 下咽頭癌 / 癌幹細胞 / CD44

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Sufficient progress in cancer stem cell research has not yet been made in the field of head and neck cancer, and no specific molecule targeting cancer stem cells that leads to treatment has been identified.
For patients with hypopharyngeal cancer, immunostaining of CD44, ALDH1 and PDL1 was performed using cancer tissue sections, and the number of positive cells was measured and quantified to evaluate the relationship with prognosis. CD44 was associated with prognosis, but ALDH1 and PDL1 were not clearly associated with prognosis.
In the future, it will be necessary to search for specific markers for hypopharyngeal cancer by narrowing down to CD44-positive cells and identifying populations with cancer stem cell organs.

Free Research Field

頭頚部癌

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

口腔咽頭癌の5年生存率は60％前後である．加療後に完全奏功の評価となった症例においても再発が多く見られる. この様な再発や転移の要因として注目されているのが癌幹細胞である．
今回の研究により、まずは下咽頭癌における癌幹細胞マーカーを同定していくことで、不良な転機となる約4割の癌患者の既存の治療に代わる新たな治療の開発の一助となったと考える。しかし、いまだに癌幹細胞器質をもつ細胞集団を完全に同定することは困難であり、引き続き研究を継続することでより特異性の高いマーカーを同定していくことが必要となる。