Metabolism and immune tolerance of lung cancer.

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K17768
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55040:Respiratory surgery-related
• Research Institution: Miyagi Prefectural Hospital Organization Miyagi Cancer Center
• Principal Investigator: Sato Taku 地方独立行政法人宮城県立病院機構宮城県立がんセンター(研究所), がん薬物療法研究部, 共同研究員 (90814541)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 肺がん / 代謝 / 腫瘍免疫

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The recent success of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has shown that lung cancer can be treated by activating tumor immunity. However, there are still major problems, such as the rather large number of non-responsive cases and the emergence of resistance. In this study, the possibility that interfering with tumor metabolism resolves immune tolerance was investigated. The results strongly suggest that tumor glucose metabolism (Warburg effect) leads to immune tolerance, and that the mechanism involves crosstalk between glucose metabolism and regulation of intracellular signal transduction that regulates immunity.

Free Research Field

呼吸器外科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

肺がん治療においても免疫チェックポイント阻害治療（ICB）が一般化し、さらにICBと多剤の併用治療が続々とファーストライン化すると見込まれる現況において、ICBへの不応答例を予測したり、減らす手法の開発は極めて重要である。今後、本研究の成果をさらに発展させ、新たなICB併用治療としての有用性を検証する意義は高い。本研究は、そのような目標に向けて、その基礎をなるデータを収集することができた。メカニズムについては、より詳細な解析が必要と思われる。