Research for novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets related to cancer microenvironment in pancreatic cancer

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K17620
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55020:Digestive surgery-related
• Research Institution: Yamaguchi University
• Principal Investigator: Matsui Hiroto 山口大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (60780781)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 癌免疫 / 癌微小環境

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Initially, we planned to perform immunostaining on the immunotherapy-treated group, but as the samples of cases were mostly old and the paraffin blocks were not in good condition, the accurate assessment by immunostaining was questionable.
Therefore, we have previously focused on a molecule that appears to be involved in cancer stem cells: calreticulin, and examined its association with immune escape mechanisms in pancreatic cancer cells that express high levels of calreticulin. The results showed that PDL1 expression was higher and HLA-class1 expression was lower in the Calreticulin-expressing cell lines, suggesting that pancreatic cancer stem cells with high cell surface expression of Calreticulin may be involved in escape from immune surveillance.

Free Research Field

消化器・腫瘍外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

膵癌におけるCalreticulin発現は膵癌幹細胞に対するマーカーであるとともに免疫逃避に関するバイオマーカーともなりうる。同時に今後、免疫チェックポイント阻害剤に対する治療効果予測の可能性ともなりうる。
また、今後、免疫逃避機構におけるカスケードとCalreticulinの関与を検証することにより膵癌に対する免疫チェックポイント阻害剤の治療効果の向上も期待できる。