Strategies for ovarian cancer prevention: Evaluation of the impact of exposure of environmental carcinogenic substances to the ovary

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K09673
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 56040:Obstetrics and gynecology-related
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: Katabuchi Hidetaka 熊本大学, 大学院生命科学研究部(医), 名誉教授 (90224451)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 本原 剛志 熊本大学, 病院, 講師 (10457591) ; 田代 浩徳 熊本大学, 大学院生命科学研究部(保), 教授 (70304996)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 卵巣癌 / 環境物質 / アスベスト / タルク / 発癌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we aimed to elucidate the mechanisms by which environmental substances, such as asbestos and talc, are involved in ovarian cancer carcinogenesis through comprehensive analysis of cellular, animal, and clinical specimens.
We found that exposure to asbestos or talc enhanced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human ovarian surface epithelial cells. Furthermore, we analyzed DNA double-strand breaks, which are known to be one of the DNA disorders induced by oxidative stress, especially related to de novo carcinogenesis, and demonstrated that asbestos and talc exposure induce DNA double-strand breaks in human ovarian surface epithelial cells.

Free Research Field

婦人科腫瘍

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今回の一連の研究結果から、卵巣癌の発症の予防という観点において、アスベストやタルクに代表される環境物質が卵巣癌の発生に密接に関与していることが明らかにされた。すなわち、環境物質が腹腔内に到達する経路を遮断するといった観点からも、卵管切除術が有意義である可能性があり、今後の検証をすすめていきたい。