Tumor microenvironment of T-cell lymphoma: approaching by single cell anaysis

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K16206
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 49020:Human pathology-related
• Research Institution: Kurume University
• Principal Investigator: Takeuchi Mai 久留米大学, 医学部, 助教 (10759666)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 悪性リンパ腫 / 未分化大細胞型リンパ腫 / 免疫微小環境

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we investigated tumor immune microenvironment of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), which is a type of T-cell lymphoma, using gene expression analysis by nCounter, immunostaining, and single-cell spatial analysis by Phenocycler. The results showed that CD47 and SIRPα involved in the "Don't eat me" signal were important for tumor immune microenvironment of ALCL. CD47 was expressed in ALCL tumor cells, and many SIRPα-positive stromal cells were found in the surrounding area. In conclusion, it was suggested that the immune escape mechanism by the interaction between CD47 and SIRPα may be working in ALCL.

Free Research Field

病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

T細胞性リンパ腫は化学療法の効果が不十分であり、がん免疫療法などの活用が期待される。がん免疫療法の適切な利用にはがん細胞を取り巻くT細胞などの免疫微小環境の理解が重要であるが、T細胞性リンパ腫はT細胞自体が腫瘍化しているため従来の方法では免疫微小環境の解析が困難であった。本研究では遺伝子発現解析とシングルセル解析を併用することでより詳細な検討を可能にし、治療の進歩に貢献する可能性が期待される。