Development of the precision medicine for melanoma using circulating tumor cel

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K08667
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 53050:Dermatology-related
• Research Institution: Shinshu University
• Principal Investigator: Kiniwa Yukiko 信州大学, 学術研究院医学系, 准教授 (20436893)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 奥山 隆平 信州大学, 学術研究院医学系, 教授 (80292332)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: メラノーマ / 循環腫瘍細胞 / バイオマーカー / 接着分子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, circulating melanoma cells in patients with acral melanoma were measured and correlated with disease status. Using peripheral blood at multiple timepoints during the treatment, a partial response to metastases and a decrease in CTCs during treatment were identified in coincidence.
Next, to investigate the potential of CTCs in melanoma patients to form metastases, we focused on ICAM-1 as a cell adhesion molecule; CTCs were identified and their expression was assessed using antibodies for ICAM-1. the number of ICAM-1-positive CTCs was roughly linked to the total number of CTCs, which was found to decrease after treatment A correlation with disease status was obtained, with a decrease after the start of treatment.
This study showed that the number of CTCs in melanoma patients increases or decreases in conjunction with disease status, and that the number of ICAM-1-expressing CTCs increases during disease progression, indicating that they can be a marker of disease status.

Free Research Field

皮膚がん研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、メラノーマの再発の早期診断や治療効果の確認の向上を目指し、とくに、国内に患者が多い病型である末端黒子型に着目し解析を行った。さらに、CTCが転移を形成するポテンシャルを有する可能性を検討するために、細胞接着分子としてICAM-1に着目した。その結果、治療経過中のCTCの数が病勢を反映すること、およびCTC上に接着分子ICAM-1の発現が相関することなどを示した。
本研究の成果により、メラノーマ患者の病勢変化にいち早く対応し、最適な治療の提供につながることが期待される。