Analysis of heterogeneity clinical significance of circulating cancer cells in head and neck cancer and its clinical significance

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K18794
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56050:Otorhinolaryngology-related
• Research Institution: Gunma University
• Principal Investigator: IDA SHOTA 群馬大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (00814211)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 頭頸部扁平上皮癌 / 循環癌細胞 / HPV / CTC

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Circulating cancer cells are attracting attention as a new method for diagnosing and evaluating cancer, liquid biopsy.
This time, we compared the biological characteristics and significance of circulating cancer cells of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck cancer and their relationship with clinical factors from the viewpoint of HPV (human papillomavirus) -related cancer and non-related cancer. There were differences in molecular phenotypes such as gene expression (molecules related to epithelial mesenchymal transition and immune checkpoint) in circulating cancer cells between HPV-related cancers and non-HPV-related cancers.We also found an association between the prognosis and the expression level of some genes in CTCs, suggesting that it may be a biomarker for predicting prognosis.

Free Research Field

耳鼻咽喉科・頭頸部外科学、腫瘍免疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現在、癌の直接的な診断は組織生検による検査が最も重要とされるが、組織生検は観血的処置であり、患者さんへの侵襲は大きい。liquid biopsyは通常の血液検査と同様の手順で行うことができるため低侵襲であり、血液中の循環癌細胞を解析し癌の性質や予後を予測できることは今後の癌治療において大きな恩恵をもたらすと考えられる。今回の頭頸部扁平上皮癌における循環癌細胞の解析でも、HPV関連癌-非関連癌の間で分子生物学的性質の違いや予後との関わりが明らかになり、今後の実臨床での検査への応用が期待される。