Heterogeneity and Plasticity of DNA Methylation during Clonal Evolution in Pancreatic Cancer

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K22821
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0901:Oncology and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyorin University
• Principal Investigator: Hayashi Akimasa 杏林大学, 医学部, 講師 (40735396)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 膵癌 / DNAメチル化 / 腫瘍内不均一性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We performed genome-wide DNA methylation analysis using multisampling methods with FFPE samples at the department of pathology, Kyorin University, School of Medicine. We optimized our DNA extraction protocol and successfully gained high-quality genome-wide DNA methylation data. We are currently integrating our data with data from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to search for intratumoral heterogeneity in DNA methylation, its plasticity during clonal evolution, and functional annotations of these intratumoral differentially methylated genes.

Free Research Field

病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により、膵癌の腫瘍内DNAメチル化不均一性が明らかになりつつある。膵癌は、その発生過程において、主要ながん抑制遺伝子にDNAメチル化が起こることが知られている。今回得られたDNAメチル化データの解析を進め、クローン進展過程におけるDNAメチル化の可塑性や腫瘍内メチル化変動遺伝子の生物学的意義を探索することは、分子遺伝学的な新たな腫瘍進展メカニズムの解明につながると考えられる。