Novel strategies for the treatment of Cushing disease using machine learning techniques targeting intermediate filaments

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K17504
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 54040:Metabolism and endocrinology-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Arai Makoto 東北大学, 医学系研究科, JSPS特別研究員(PD) (10865059)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: Cushing病 / 中間径フィラメント / 内分泌 / 機械学習

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Cushing disease is caused by ACTH-producing pituitary adenomas, leading to hypercortisolemia and its related comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, infection and osteoporosis. It is often difficult to cure Cushing disease solely by surgical resections or radiation therapies, but the effects of medications against Cushing disease are also limited. Here I aimed to search for therapeutic targets of Cushing disease from pathological perspectives. The analyses of the resected adenomas revealed the staining of cytokeratin showed distinguished patterns in some cases which were different from typical adenomas or known subtypes.

Free Research Field

内分泌

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

Cushing病に対する薬物療法の研究はこれまでも行われてきた。しかし従来の研究では、他の臓器の腫瘍に用いられている薬剤をCushing病にも転用しようという主旨のものがほとんどであり、それ故か、アンメット・ニーズはアンメットのままであった。
本研究はCushing病に特有の病態を見出すことでそれを標的とした治療法の基盤を構築したいという考えに端を発している。今回明らかになったサイトケラチンの特徴はCushing病の病理像および臨床的特徴とも関連が認められたことから、ここを足掛かりとした今後の研究が期待される。