Mechanism of antiproliferative action in cancer cells targeting nucleolar function

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K23927
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0901:Oncology and related fields
• Research Institution: Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research
• Principal Investigator: WATANABE Kenji 公益財団法人がん研究会, がん研究所 がん生物部, 研究員 (80404333)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 核小体ストレス / ファイトアレキシン / がん

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we were able to obtain a crude fraction containing secondary metabolites derived from germinated soybeans, which induce nucleolar stress and suppress the growth of cancer cells. we found that this soybean-derived fraction induces nuclear body stress and induces cell death not only in osteosarcoma cell lines U2OS cells, but also in cell lines such as breast cancer cells and Ewing's sarcoma. In addition, the small compounds contained in this fraction induced cell death regardless of the p53 mutation, suggesting that this is a pathway that induces cell death due to nucleolar stress in a p53-independent manner.

Free Research Field

分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

学術的には、今回の実験結果から核小体ストレスが関与するp53非依存的な新たな細胞死誘導のメカニズムを解明するきっかけとなることが期待される。また今回核小体ストレスを誘導しがん細胞の増殖抑制に効果のある小化合物が発芽大豆由来の抽出物より見いだされた。このことは将来的に核小体を標的とした新たな抗がん剤の開発につながる可能性があり、社会的意義を持つと考えられる。