Analysis of tumor microenvironment in aggressive NK leukemia

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20H03716
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 54010:Hematology and medical oncology-related
• Research Institution: Tokai University
• Principal Investigator: Kotani Ai 東海大学, 医学部, 教授 (00517477)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 前田 高宏 九州大学, 医学研究院, 教授 (00791972) ; 半田 寛 群馬大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 准教授 (90282409)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: アグレッシブNK白血病 / Epstein Bar virus

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To comprehensively analyze the microenvironment of aggressive NK leukemia, a rare disease, for which there is no standard treatment, we constructed 6 PDX mice and performed interlactome analysis using human and mouse RNA sequence differences with a focus on the microenvironment in 3 of the mice that can be analyzed stably. We performed an exhaustive screening using several in silico analysis software programs and selected 10 candidate gene pairs for therapeutic targets. In particular, administration of anti-human TfnR antibody markedly prolonged survival, and a physician-initiated study was initiated in fiscal year 2005 with the support of AMED's "Drug Discovery Support Promotion Program and Pre-designation Commercialization Support Program for Orphan Drugs".

Free Research Field

血液内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

アグレッシブNK白血病は、本邦では、年間発症数が20人から30人という希少疾患であり、進行が早く、生存中央値は２ヶ月未満である。希少疾患故、病態解析が進まず、標準治療法がない。しかし、AYA世代を含む若年者に発症する特徴や欧米では更に頻度が低いため、我が国から治療法開発をしていくべき疾患である。臨床治験を開始するところまで、研究成果をつなげられた本研究の社会的意義は極めて高いと考えられる。