Development of novel targeted therapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K16434
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 50020:Tumor diagnostics and therapeutics-related
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: ZHENG LING 筑波大学, 医学医療系, 助教 (70833565)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 食道扁平上皮癌 / THG-1 / リン酸化 / グルタミン代謝

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is a cancer that is difficult to diagnose at an early stage and is prone to recurrence after surgery, lymph node metastasis, and invasion into adjacent organs. Therefore, further understanding of the mechanisms by which specific target molecules are involved in the progression is important to improve treatment and prognosis. In this project, we investigated the molecular function of THG-1, an oncogene highly expressed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, focusing on the phosphorylation of THG-1, with the aim of developing new molecularly targeted therapies for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. We found that phosphorylated THG-1 induces changes in glutamine metabolism in squamous cell carcinomas, and we also found compounds that inhibit the changes in glutamine metabolism.

Free Research Field

分子腫瘍学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

食道癌は主に扁平上皮癌と腺癌を含む二つの組織型に分類することができるが、アジアで特に多いのが扁平上皮癌である。食道扁平上皮癌に高発現し、さらに癌の進行に関わる分子であるTHG-1についてリン酸化機能解析を中心に解明した分子機構の理解及び特異的な標的分子の探索は、治療および予後の改善のために重要である。