Establishment of an animal model for evaluating intracellular energy-interaction between cancer and immune cells

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K16085
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 47060:Clinical pharmacy-related
• Research Institution: International University of Health and Welfare
• Principal Investigator: Hirao Takuya 国際医療福祉大学, 薬学部, 助教 (80827759)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: がん代謝 / マウスモデル / Ba/F3細胞 / BCR-ABL / チロシンキナーゼ阻害剤

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recent studies have reported that the energy metabolism of cancer cells and immune cells affects the efficacy of anti-cancer therapies. The aim of this study was to establish an animal model that could simultaneously assess the energy metabolism of cancer cells and immune cells.
First, we established reporter transgenic oncogenic cells. Construct vectors containing the oncogene BCR-ABL gene, GFP and iuciferase as reporter genes were gene transfected into Ba/F3 cells, a mouse progenitor B cell line. Furthermore, their cells were transplanted into C3H mice to establish a mouse model of blood cancer with normal immune function. We also confirmed that this mouse model can be used to evaluate the efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Free Research Field

医療薬学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

がん代謝とがん免疫を結びつける横断的研究が盛んに行われるようになったが、それらの研究用いられる動物モデルは作出にコストが掛かり、研究施設も制限される。我々が構築したマウスモデルは簡便かつ低コスト、更に封じ込めレベルもP1A（プラスミドベクターで作成可能）であるため、多くの研究者が活用できるモデルであり学術の発展という点で有用であると確信している。また、本モデルはチロシンキナーゼ阻害剤だけでなく、近年汎用される免疫チェックポイント阻害薬に対する抗腫瘍効果や副作用を評価し得るモデルとなる可能性があり、抗がん剤の適正使用への貢献が期待される。