The elucidation of a cancer stem cell suppressing mechanism with senescence associated microRNA

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K22849
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0901:Oncology and related fields
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Yamamoto Yuki 広島大学, 医系科学研究科(薬), 助教 (50881265)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: microRNA / senescence / cancer stem like cell

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We focused on the senescence-associated microRNA (SA-miRNA) which inducing "cellular senescence" shown irreversible growth arrest, then we identified 349 SA-miRNAs in previous study. In this study, we try to identify SA-miRNAs which suppress not only cancer progression but also cancer stem like cells. We performed a screening assessed a cancer cell viability using head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell line and stem cell like cell line, and identified SA-miRNAs shown tumor suppressive effect on both cell lines. Additionally, we performed AGO2 RIP-sequence, and identified target mRNAs of a miRNA in each cancer cell and cancer stem like cells.

Free Research Field

細胞分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

一般的ながんの薬物療法では、がん幹細胞や抗がん剤耐性がん細胞などの治療抵抗性がん細胞の残存によるがんの再発が問題視されている。本研究では、口腔扁平上皮がんに限定されているものの、がん細胞およびがん幹細胞に増殖抑制効果を示すmiRNAを網羅的に同定することができているため、同定されたmiRNA単剤でがんの根治が期待される。また、miRNAの標的遺伝子探索により、がん細胞とがん幹細胞の治療メカニズムの解明、さらには新たな治療標的の同定に寄与することも期待される。