Functional analysis of Arl4c in fibroblasts of interstitial pneumonia

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K17743
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55040:Respiratory surgery-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: KIIMURA KENJI 大阪大学, 医学系研究科, 助教 (50795325)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 間質性肺炎 / 肺癌 / Arl4c

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, our goal is that we elucidate the effect of Arl4c, which has been reported to be possibly involved in the carcinogenic process of lung cancer, on the fibrosis of the lung and the carcinogenic process of lung cancer complicated by interstitial pneumonia. Activated fibroblasts isolated from resected lung cancer patients with interstitial pneumonia expressed high levels of Arl4c. Arl4c-suppressed fibroblasts showed decreased proliferative capacity and reduced migration and contractility, which are functional phenotypes of fibroblasts, suggesting that Arl4c may play an important role in the function of activated fibroblasts in interstitial pneumonia. Arl4c may play an important role in the function of activated fibroblasts in interstitial pneumonia.

Free Research Field

肺癌

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

間質性肺炎の経過中に発症する肺癌は比較的多く、予後も悪いため、早期発見・治療が重要である。治療においては外科治療以外の有効な治療薬開発は重要な課題である。Arl4cは肺癌の前癌病変から発現し癌へと進行する過程に関わる分子として報告がある。今回、間質性肺炎の病態の一つである異常活性した線維芽細胞にArl4cが発現しそれらの機能に関わることがわかった。難治性である間質性肺炎や間質性肺炎合併肺癌に対するArl4cを標的とした新たな治療法確立を目指すという点で非常に重要な発見と思われる。またArl4cは前癌病変から発現する分子であり間質性肺炎合併肺癌の早期発見への貢献も期待できると考えられる。