Development of hepatocellular carcinoma treatment monitoring method using next-generation sequencing and digital PCR

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K17029
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 53010:Gastroenterology-related
• Research Institution: Iwate Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Akiko 岩手医科大学, 医学部, 任期付助教 (70866558)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: バイオマーカー / 肝細胞癌 / 腫瘍生物学 / 血中腫瘍由来循環DNA

Outline of Final Research Achievements

With the progression of genome analysis technology, there is growing anticipation for drug selection based on the genetic information of primary tumor tissues prior to treatment, such as molecular targeted drugs and immune checkpoint inhibitors, as well as for recurrence diagnosis. However, for cancers like unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, where the collection of primary tumor tissues is avoided due to the risk of bleeding or seeding, it has been challenging to validate the effectiveness of drug selection and prognostic stratification based on the genetic information of primary tumor tissues. Therefore, we have established a method to retrospectively verify treatment targets that could not obtain tissue sequencing information during life due to high biopsy risks by collecting tissue from post-mortem specimens and conducting sequence analysis.

Free Research Field

消化器病学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、死後の病理解剖によって得られる腫瘍組織のゲノム解析を起点として、肝細胞癌治療経過中に生じる腫瘍内ヘテロ不均一性、癌の進化、薬剤抵抗性獲得機序を明らかにする試みである。本研究から得られる知見は、これまで合併症リスクを理由に検証が困難であった肝細胞癌に対して、原発腫瘍組織の遺伝情報を基とした治療効果予測および体内腫瘍量評価による個別化治療の実現に向けた基礎的資料となる。また、切除不能肝細胞癌の治療効果予測や体内腫瘍量評価における腫瘍由来血中循環DNAの臨床的妥当性を評価するという点で意義がある。