Identification and functional analysis of telomerase suppressor genes in pancreatic cancer using chromosome engineering

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K17688
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55020:Digestive surgery-related
• Research Institution: Tottori University
• Principal Investigator: YAGYU Takuki 鳥取大学, 医学部附属病院, 医員 (00867757)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 膵がん / テロメラーゼ / 3p21.3領域

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Pancreatic cancer has an approximately 10% five-year survival rate, which is a remarkably poor prognosis compared to other cancers, and the development of new therapeutic targets is an urgent issue. Telomerase, on the other hand, has little function in normal cells, but is commonly activated in many carcinomas, thus attracting attention as a molecular target.
In this study, through an experimental transfection of normal human chromosome 3 into a pancreatic cancer cell line, it was clarified that the telomerase suppressor gene is located in the 3p21.3 region in pancreatic cancer.

Free Research Field

腫瘍生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、膵がんにおいて3番染色体短腕の特定の領域にテロメラーゼ抑制遺伝子（群）が存在することを明らかにした。またその機序は、テロメラーゼ活性中心のTERTのプロモーター活性を抑制することによる可能性が示唆された。この結果により、膵がんの新たな治療ターゲット開発の糸口となることや、膵がん発生メカニズムの理解が進むことが期待される。