Development of an innovative anticancer drug delivery system targeting the network between cancer cell and cancer microenvironment

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K15315
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 47060:Clinical pharmacy-related
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: Maeda Hitoshi 熊本大学, 大学院生命科学研究部(薬), 助教 (80791483)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: マクロファージ / 線維芽細胞 / がん細胞 / アルブミン / 遺伝子工学技術

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The "cancer microenvironment", which consists of cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells, has recently attracted attention as a new therapeutic target for intractable cancers. The main cancer stromal cell groups, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), cooperate with cancer cells to construct a tumor-promoting cancer microenvironment network. The present study developed a new DDS carrier, namely an albumin heterodimer, that simultaneously targets TAM/CAF/cancer cells, and demonstrated the usefulness of a new therapeutic strategy to control the "cancer microenvironment network". HSA-(Man-HSA), the next-generation DDS carrier, is highly expected to pave the way to innovative drug therapy for intractable cancers.

Free Research Field

生物薬剤学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでにTAMあるいはCAFのいずれか一方を標的とするDDS担体はいくつか開発されているが、癌細胞/TAM/CAFの三者を同時に認識可能な三重標的化薬物送達担体の開発事例は存在しない。今回開発したPTX結合型HSA化Man-HSAは、抗癌剤だけでなく、各種イメージング剤や造影剤を担持可能である。従って、HSA化Man-HSAは新たな「癌細胞-癌微小環境」診断薬としても活用でき、難治性癌に対する治療と診断を同時に行うセラノシス「Theranosis＝Therapeutics(治療)＋Diagnosis(診断)」担体としての可能性を秘めている。