Investigation of cancer extracellular vesicles for their revealing heterogeneity

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K22806
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0901:Oncology and related fields
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Yokoi Akira 名古屋大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (30737135)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: エクソソーム / 細胞外小胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) were extracted from bio-fluids of ovarian cancer patient and fresh tumor tissue and profiled for both protein and nucleic acids (DNA, miRNA). Ovarian cancer-specific proteins have been identified and are in the process of being published and patent pending. We have also identified DNA profiles associated with response rates to therapeutic drugs in ovarian cancer patients, and we will submit a patent application and prepare the manuscript. The data from sequencing and LC-MS/MS indicated that EVs of different sizes have different characteristics, and that it is appropriate to analyze small EVs as targets for body fluid diagnostics, and that they have different biological functions.

Free Research Field

細胞生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

エクソソーム研究は、世界的にみて、現在最も注目を集めている研究分野の一つであり、世界中で多くの研究者が未だ明らかにされていないエクソソームの機能を明らかにしたいと熱を帯びている。本研究において主に対象とする卵巣がんは、極めて悪性度の高いがんであり、患者予後が悪く、サブタイプ等の多様性から、臨床に還元できる研究成果が得られにくいがん種である。しかし、その反面、臨床応用を目指した基礎的研究を行う意義は高いと言える。本研究により同定した卵巣がんにおけるEVの特性は、需要の極めて高い、エクソソーム研究、卵巣がん研究の双方の発展に寄与する極めて重要な位置づけとなる。