Metabolome analysis for early stage esophageal cancer

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K22859
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0901:Oncology and related fields
• Research Institution: National Cancer Center Japan
• Principal Investigator: SAKASHITA SHINGO 国立研究開発法人国立がん研究センター, 先端医療開発センター, ユニット長 (40620638)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 早期食道癌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We hypothesized that the microenvironment, including metabolism, may form a predisposition for malignant transformation in the development of esophageal carcinoma. Using mucosectomy specimens of the esophagus, we analyzed the hypoxic environment of intraepithelial lesions (Tis-1a) and submucosal invasive lesions (T1b) using immunostaining, vascular, and hypoxic endoscopy. There were some markers that differed significantly between normal and tumor, and some markers that differed between Tis-1a and T1b, but in general, a large difference was found between T1a and T1b. Metabolomic analysis also revealed a number of metabolites that differ between T1a and T1b, and in esophageal cancer, the metabolic environment is different between non-invasive and invasive cancer.
The metabolic environment of esophageal cancer differs significantly between non-invasive and invasive cancers.

Free Research Field

診断病理

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

早期の食道癌において、リンパ節転移をしない非浸潤性の食道癌とリンパ節転移をきたしうる浸潤性の食道癌の低酸素環境、代謝環境が異なる事を示した。これは、食道癌の初期悪性化のメカニズム解明につながる可能性がある、非常に重要な発見である。特に、癌の発生に関わるとされるDriver mutationと思われるような共通する遺伝子異常が見つかっておらず、癌の発生は未だ謎に包まれている。今回の発見は、食道癌の予防という観点からも非常に重要な知見である。