2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Establishment and clinical application of ctDNA detection in head and neck cancer

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	20K09758
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Review Section	Basic Section 56050:Otorhinolaryngology-related
Research Institution	University of the Ryukyus
Principal Investigator	Hirakawa Hitoshi 琉球大学, 病院, 講師 (50437993)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	池上太郎琉球大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (00754409) 山下懐琉球大学, 医学部, 委託非常勤講師 (60569622)
Project Period (FY)	2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
Keywords	リキッドバイオプシー / ctDNA / 頭頸部腫瘍
Outline of Final Research Achievements	The trace amount of cell free DNA, which is a challenge for ctDNA collection in head and neck cancer liquid biopsy, could be accurately collected.The time required for centrifugation of the plasma is a major factor affecting the quality of the sample. In particular, the time taken to centrifuge the plasma greatly affects the quality of the sample, so the time was standardized. The relative amount of ctDNA decreases as time passes after blood collection. Therefore, a protocol for centrifugation of plasma without freezing the specimens after blood collection was developed and confirmed to be feasible. We collected 321 specimens from 152 patients with head and neck cancer of the upper, middle, and lower pharynx, larynx, and paranasal sinus, and successfully collected ctDNA. By comparing the results with the clinical course, we found that ctDNA increased or decreased in proportion to the presence or absence of recurrence.
Free Research Field	頭頸部癌
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	癌細胞は血流、リンパ流に乗って遠隔転移していき、上皮間葉転換することにより遠隔転移が成立しやすくなる。また癌細胞は宿主免疫や治療から逃れるため、分子プロファイルを変えている。リキッドバイオプシーは血液や唾液などの体液からこのような循環癌細胞、循環癌細胞由来DNAなどの分子生物学的情報を抽出する技術であり、症例に応じた癌治療を行える利点がある。近年癌研究分野で急速に進歩しているが、頭頸部領域ではまだ報告が少なく、その有用性は確立されていない。本研究の結果はctDNAは腫瘍由来ゲノム情報を含み、癌の予後予測、微小残存癌測定による再発リスク判定などへの応用が期待できることを示した。