Stromal invasion and lateral migration of oral squamous cell carcinoma: reciprocal regulation and molecular basis

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K09841
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 57020:Oral pathobiological science-related
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: Abe Tatsuya 新潟大学, 医歯学系, 助教 (70634856)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 山崎 学 新潟大学, 医歯学系, 准教授 (10547516) ; 田沼 順一 新潟大学, 医歯学系, 教授 (20305139) ; 丸山 智 新潟大学, 医歯学総合病院, 講師 (30397161)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 口腔扁平上皮癌 / LAD1

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The functional analysis of ladinin-1 (LAD1), which was found to be highly expressed in the intraepithelial extension of oral squamous cell carcinoma, revealed the possibility that LAD1 is associated with actin molecules and regulates the migration of cancer cells. We investigated the relationship between the expression of LAD1, the extent of invasion of cancer cells on collagen gels, the quantitative morphological evaluation of cultured cells under the suppression of LAD1 expression, and clinicopathological factor analysis by public database search. LAD1 may contribute to maintaining the epithelial character of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells, and its reduced expression may increase its ability to invade the stroma.

Free Research Field

病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

口腔扁平上皮癌は粘膜上皮内に発生し、上皮内を進展する段階を経て、間質浸潤をきたすことで、悪性腫瘍としての性質を獲得する。上皮内進展と間質浸潤はそれぞれ患者予後の観点からは決定的に異なる現象であり、それらを相反的に制御する分子が存在している可能性が見出されたことは、今後の制癌的治療戦略や予防的アプローチに寄与する可能性のある結果といえる。