Study of the role of Paxillin, focal adhesion associated factor, in the early stage of colorectal cancer to liver metastasis

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K09067
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 55020:Digestive surgery-related
• Research Institution: Osaka Metropolitan University (2022); Osaka City University (2020-2021)
• Principal Investigator: Fujioka Masaki 大阪公立大学, 大学院医学研究科, 特任講師 (10648463)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 腫瘍肝転移 / 接着斑 / 細胞基質接着装置 / 肝転移モデルマウス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Several reports have shown significant upregulation of Focal adhesion (FA)-related genes and their association with prognosis in NGS analysis of liver metastatic tumor samples from cancer patients. This study focused on the involvement of cell-substrate adhesion proteins in tumor liver metastasis.
In the liver metastasis model via the splenic vein, a significant increase in Paxillin expression was observed in the parental strain and the liver metastasis-forming strain, and a higher expression of Paxillin was confirmed in the strain with enhanced liver metastatic potential by in vivo selection method. On the other hand, no significant change in Paxillin expression was observed in the lung metastases induced by intravesical injection compared to the parental strain.
These results suggest that Paxillin expression plays an essential role in liver and lung metastasis to bladder carcinoma, but the mechanism of its establishment in the metastases may differ.

Free Research Field

実験病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでにがん肝転移患者検体を用いたNGS解析において、Focal adhesion(FA)関連遺伝子群の有意な発現上昇および予後との関連が複数報告されている。したがって、FAが肝転移巣成立に重要な役割を果たすことが示唆されている。
本研究の成果により、血流を介した腫瘍の肝転移巣形成過程において、Paxillinを含むFocal adhesion関連因子の発現が転移巣の形成に重要な役割を果たすことが示唆され、転移を抑制する為の新たな治療標的としての可能性を示すことができた。