Investigation of the relationship between therapeutic efficacy of anti-PD-1 antibody preparations and cancer stem cells in human oral squamous cell carcinoma

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K18714
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 57060:Surgical dentistry-related
• Research Institution: Kurume University
• Principal Investigator: Todoroki Keita 久留米大学, 医学部, 講師 (60624434)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: CD44v3 / CD24 / PD-L1 / PD-1 / 免疫逃避

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Our clinicopathological studies suggest that cancer stem cells (CSCs) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) evade host immune mechanisms and maintain their stemness via co-expression of the immune checkpoint molecule PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1, resulting in an unfavorable clinical outcome of OSCC. This suggests that cancer stem cells (CSCs) evade host immune mechanisms and maintain their stemness, resulting in unfavorable clinical outcomes in oral cancer. In other words, cancer stem cells may be a potential therapeutic target for immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Free Research Field

口腔癌におけるがん幹細胞の臨床病理学的検討

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

臨床病理学的検討の結果、口腔扁平上皮癌(Oral squamous cel carcinoma, 以下OSCC)におけるがん幹細胞(Cancer stem cells, 以下CSCs)は、免疫チェックポイント分子であるPD-1とそのリガンドであるPD-L1の共発現を介して、宿主の免疫機構を回避し、CSCsの幹細胞性を維持し、その結果、OSCCの好ましくない臨床転帰をもたらしていることが示唆された。すなわち、CSCｓは免疫チェックポイント阻害剤の治療標的である可能性が示された。