Identification of specific miRNAs as potential biomarkers for the progression of early esophageal cancer

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K17022
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 53010:Gastroenterology-related
• Research Institution: Kagawa University
• Principal Investigator: Fujihara Shintaro 香川大学, 医学部, 寄附講座教員 (30612486)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 表在型食道癌 / マイクロRNA / 内視鏡

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the early detection of esophageal cancer, accurate determination of tumor depth and vascular invasion and development of new biomarkers are desirable. In this study, we compared microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles of tumor tissue and adjacent normal tissue obtained before endoscopic resection of superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We also analyzed miRNA expression profile in relation to invasion depth and vascular involvement of superficial ESCC. Several miRNAs, such as miR-21-5p, are highly expressed in tumor tissues of superficial ESCC, and we performed functional analysis using cancer cell lines. This study suggests that these miRNAs may be involved in early diagnostic markers of superficial ESCC and in the mechanism of cancer cell proliferation.

Free Research Field

消化器内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究によって、癌の次世代早期診断マーカーであるマイクロRNAの表在型食道癌における発現パターンを明らかにした。また食道癌の深達度および脈管侵襲に関連するmiRNAについての発現プロファイルを行いmiRNA signatureを樹立し、これらのmiRNAが診断バイオマーカーとして役割を果たす可能性を示した。表在型食道癌の腫瘍組織では、特にmiR-21-5pとmiR-146b-5pが高発現し、miR-210-3pの低発現していた。合成miR-21-5pの導入で食道扁平上皮癌細胞株の細胞増殖が促進されており、miR-21-5pの過剰発現が初期の腫瘍増殖・浸潤のメカニズムに関与するものと考えられた。