Challenge to novel cancer treatment method using micro-particles targeting cancer microenvironment

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K20965
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 18:Mechanics of materials, production engineering, design engineering, and related fields
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: Nakashima Yuta 熊本大学, 大学院先端科学研究部(工), 准教授 (70574341)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: がん治療 / マイクロパーティクル / 免疫応答

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research objective is to develop the novel cancer treatment method. We have devised a cancer treatment method from the inside of cancer tissue by inducing a forced immune response by giving microparticles to the large number of immune cells that exist inside cancer tissue. In the result of the various size of microparticles were administered to mouse immune cells, the microparticle size of activating inflammatory response was clarified. The microparticles were administered to immune cells, and the culture supernatant containing the substance produced by the inflammatory response was collected and administered to cancer cells. As a result, we demonstrated the cancer cells were injured by produced substance from microparticles stimulated immune cells. This result suggests that this technique will become to novel cancer therapy method.

Free Research Field

バイオメディカルエンジニアリング

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

免疫細胞を用いてがんを弱体化あるいは消滅させることができれば、既存のがん治療法に比べて生体の損傷や医療被曝などの患者や生体の負担が少ない治療法となり、大きな社会的意義を持つ。また、本成果は、既存の治療法と組み合わせることによっても効果を発揮できるため、がん患者の死亡率減少に貢献できる。