Functional analysis of reticulofibroblasts in lymph node metastasis of gastrointestinal cancer

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K08707
• 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: Shiga University of Medical Science
• Principal Investigator: Tani Masaji 滋賀医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (60236677)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 前平 博充 滋賀医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (30564918) ; 飯田 洋也 滋賀医科大学, 医学部, 非常勤講師 (30733901) ; 竹林 克士 滋賀医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (70452240) ; 三宅 亨 滋賀医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (70581924)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 細網線維芽細胞 / リンパ節転移 / 胃癌 / 予後

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The prognostic impact of FRC in metastatic lymph nodes was found not only in colorectal cancer but also in gastric cancer, suggesting that fibroblastic reticular cells (FRC) in metastatic lymph nodes may contribute to lymph node metastasis promotion in various gastrointestinal cancers. The establishment of fibroblast cell lines from tumor tissue, adjacent normal tissue, and metastatic lymph nodes using clinical specimens made it possible to analyze how differences in their localization may lead to differences in function. In the future, they plan to develop novel therapeutic strategies for gastrointestinal cancers targeting FRC.

Free Research Field

消化器外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

がんの転移先として最も一般的なリンパ節に存在するFRCががん進展に対しどのような機能を有しているかを臨床検体を用いて解析を行い、生体内でのがん悪性化に対するFRCの役割を解明することで、消化器癌に対する新規治療戦略の開発を目指すことが可能となった。