Elucidation of the mechanism of gut microbiota-mediated prevention of chemotherapy-related toxicity by Kampo medicines and its application to supportive care in cancer

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K06614
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 47050:Environmental and natural pharmaceutical resources-related
• Research Institution: Kagawa University
• Principal Investigator: Takamasa Nishiuchi 香川大学, 医学部, 協力研究員 (80723113)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 桑原 知巳 香川大学, 医学部, 教授 (60263810) ; 今大路 治之 (中山治之) 香川大学, 医学部, 講師 (80294669)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: がん支持療法 / がん薬物療法 / 漢方 / 集学的がん治療

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Advances in supportive care for side effects are also essential to improving outcomes in the rapidly developing field of cancer pharmacotherapy. Adequate supportive/palliative therapy from the early stages of treatment has been shown to improve overall prognosis [N Engl J Med 2010;363:733-742]. The purpose of this study was to verify that the application of Chinese herbal medicine, which has been used since ancient times for healing wounds and diseases, as a cancer supportive therapy can contribute to the continuation and improvement of cancer treatment outcomes. Focusing on the clinical effects of Chinese herbal medicines on the intestinal microbiota, we aim to create a new cancer supportive therapy by elucidating how Chinese herbal medicines are involved with the intestinal microbiota.

Free Research Field

がんサポーティブケア

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

2017年の「がん対策加速化プラン」では、がん支持療法の開発と普及が重要視され、産官学代表者の「国民の健康と医療を担う漢方将来ビジョン研究会」から、“漢方薬を用いた支持療法”が提言された。漢方薬による副作用低減データの蓄積、漢方薬の効果予測因子の研究、漢方医学と現代医学との整合性研究などが、課題として挙げられた。しかし、現時点で抗がん薬と漢方薬を併用し検討した研究は未だ乏しい。本研究の成果により、抗がん薬と漢方薬の薬理効果に対する腸内細菌叢の役割と機序の解明に関する検討は、先行研究が乏しい中で国際的な観点からも先駆的な研究に位置づけられ、我が国の対がん政策にも応える研究課題と考えられる。