The inhibition of mammosphere formation by aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K23811
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0801:Pharmaceutical sciences and related fields
• Research Institution: Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts
• Principal Investigator: Yamashita Naoya 同志社女子大学, 薬学部, 特別任用助教 (50846649)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: アリル炭化水素受容体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor. Recently, it has been reported that AhR agonists suppressed mammosphere formation in breast cancer cells. However, the inhibition mechanism is still unknown. To identify the inhibition of mammosphere formation by AhR agonists, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) experiments were performed. RNA-seq experiment revealed that cell division cycle 20 (CDC20), a regulator of cell cycle checkpoints, was decreased by AhR agonist in breast cancer cell line.

Free Research Field

衛生薬学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

乳がんの罹患者数および死亡者数は、増加の一途をたどっていることから、これまでにない乳がん治療薬が社会的に求められている。本申請課題では、これまでに未解明であったAhRアゴニストによる乳がん腫瘍様塊の形成抑制機構の一端を明らかにした。本研究成果は、AhRを標的とした新たな乳がん治療薬の開発につながることが期待される。