Targeting galectins to suppress and treat peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K08699
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 55020:Digestive surgery-related
• Research Institution: The Noguchi Institute
• Principal Investigator: Takada Yoshio 公益財団法人野口研究所, 研究部, 室長 (60867688)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 井手尾 浩子 公益財団法人野口研究所, 研究部, 研究員 (90180322)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ガレクチン-4 / 胃癌 / 腹膜播種 / siRNA / フコイダン誘導体 / B3GALT5

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Galectin-4, which is highly expressed in poorly differentiated gastric cancer cells, may be involved in the progression of peritoneal dissemination, and it is expected that inhibition of galectin-4 function will lead to the treatment of gastric cancer peritoneal dissemination. Therefore, in this study, various inhibitors against galectin-4 were created and evaluated. As a result, when galectin-4 siRNA, low-molecular-weight fucoidan derivatives, and glycosyltransferase B3GALT5 genes were used, the effect of suppressing the peritoneal disseminating ability of gastric cancer cells expressing galectin-4 was observed. In the future, by further refining these inhibitors and creating more powerful inhibitors, it is thought that they will be developed as a new treatment for peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer.

Free Research Field

糖鎖生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

転移や再発をきたし胃癌の死亡率上昇の大きな原因でもある腹膜播種は、外科的手術で切除することは難しく、また特異的な分子標的治療薬も存在しない。この胃癌腹膜播種の進展に関与するガレクチン-4を標的とした創薬研究は、胃癌の転移に関する新たな進展メカニズムを明らかとすると同時に、全く新しいメカニズムの治療法を提供することに結び付くものと考えられる。本研究で見出したガレクチン-4阻害物は、今後の探索研究ならびに創薬研究を経て画期的な治療薬となり得る可能性があり、特異的な治療法の無い胃癌腹膜播種の患者さんを救うことにも繋がる。