Analysis of the clonal evolution process from gastric adenocarcinoma to hepatoid adenocarcinoma and its application to pathological diagnosis.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19KK0408
• Research Category: Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research (A))
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 49020:Human pathology-related
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Fujikura Kohei 神戸大学, 医学研究科, 医学研究員 (50773751)
• Project Period (FY): 2019 – 2023
• Keywords: 肝様腺癌 / 遺伝子変異 / 次世代遺伝子解析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Hepatoid adenocarcinoma is a special type of adenocarcinoma that arises in tissues other than the liver but has both morphologic and functional features of hepatocellular carcinoma. The stomach is the most common site of hepatoid adenocarcinoma, with a high incidence of liver and lymph node metastases and a very poor prognosis. We are collecting surgically resected cases of primary hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach and performing integrated analysis, including immunostaining, identification of driver gene mutations, expression analysis by RNA-sequencing, and examination of hepatoid differentiation of gastric cancer organoids. Our final goal is to identify the factors that cause hepatoid differentiation as well as candidate therapeutic targets. If similar carcinogenesis mechanisms can be identified in hepatoid adenocarcinoma of other organs, this may lead to a cross-disciplinary disease concept.

Free Research Field

病理診断

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

肝様腺癌は胃をはじめとする様々な諸臓器で発生し、生物学的悪性度が高いことが知られている。臨床医の注目は高く、遺伝子変異、トランスクリプトーム、細胞生物学的解析を包括し、構成的に理解することは意義がある。また、欧米・アジアのいずれにおいても、肝様腺癌の発生経路に言及した報告はない。本研究成果がさらに進展すれば、病理診断の基盤構築や肝様形質に立脚した治療法が確立される可能性も考えられる。