Abscopal effect of 131I-MIBG therapy for refractory neuroblastoma

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K22836
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0901:Oncology and related fields
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Kuroda Rie 金沢大学, 医学系, 協力研究員 (90881045)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: MIBG / アブスコパル効果 / 神経芽腫

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to determine whether I-131 MIBG therapy has an abscopal effect (enhancement of anti-tumor immune response) to improve the prognosis of high-risk neuroblastoma, a poor prognosis disease among childhood cancer patients. We performed immunological analysis before and after MIBG therapy in 12 patients treated with I-131 MIBG. Activation profiles of peripheral blood leukocyte subpopulations using flow cytometry and cytokine assays using serum suggested that I-131 MIBG therapy caused immunological activation. Since this study was conducted in a small number of cases, analysis of a large number of cases is needed in the future. We plan to investigate the detailed mechanism using a mouse model of neuroblastoma.

Free Research Field

小児がん

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究においてMIBG内照射により現象として免疫学的賦活化および腫瘍による免疫応答が起こっている可能性が示唆された。今後、神経芽腫マウスモデルを用いて詳細な機序検討を行い、アブスコパル効果をさらに増強するにはどうしたらよいか、腫瘍による免疫回避機序により腫瘍再発が起こるのかどうか、MIBG治療と免疫チェックポイント阻害剤をうまく併用することで腫瘍による免疫回避を抑制できるかどうか等を検討することにより、高リスク群神経芽腫症例の予後改善につながるMIBG治療を用いた新規治療法の確立を目指す。