Development of PET imaging for radioimmunotherapy

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K16813
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 52040:Radiological sciences-related
• Research Institution: Kansai Medical University (2021-2022); Hokkaido University (2020)
• Principal Investigator: SUZUKI Motofumi 関西医科大学, 附属光免疫医学研究所, 助教 (90807801)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 放射線治療 / 免疫チェックポイント阻害剤 / 細胞周期

Outline of Final Research Achievements

When combining radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors, a method to determine the state of immune cells in tumor tissue would allow more optimal treatment conditions to be selected. In this study, we evaluated whether it is possible to predict the state of immune cells from metabolic changes in tumor tissue. The results showed that (1) radiotherapy alters cell cycle and the expression level of Glut1, which is involved in glucose metabolism of cancer cells, and (2) immune checkpoint inhibitors also alter the cell cycle of tumor tissue, and these phenomenon is induced by IFN and TNF released by activated T cells.

Free Research Field

放射線生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、放射線治療または免疫療法によりがん組織の細胞周期が変動すること、また代謝に関わるタンパク質の発現量が変化することが示された。本研究により得られた知見から、既存のPETイメージング剤を用いて免疫細胞の活性度合いを把握できる可能性がある。それにより、放射線免疫併用療法の適切な治療プロトコルの作成の新たな指標となり得ることが期待される。