The role of exosomes derived from prostate cancer in bone metastasis

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K16758
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56030:Urology-related
• Research Institution: Jikei University School of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Urabe Fumhiko 東京慈恵会医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (90840067)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞外小胞顆粒 / 前立腺癌 / エクソソーム / 骨転移

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the effect of CUB domain containing protein 1 (CDCP1), which is present on the membrane of exosomes secreted from prostate cancer, on the bone microenvironment. We found that CDCP1 on the exosomal membrane significantly induced osteoclast precursor cells to become osteoclasts in the presence of a small amount of receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL), and revealed one of the mechanisms of bone metastasis development in prostate cancer. Furthermore, we reported that the expression level of CDCP1 was elevated in the plasma of prostate cancer patients with bone metastasis compared to that of prostate cancer patients without bone metastasis, suggesting the possibility of CDCP1 as a biomarker.

Free Research Field

泌尿器科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

エクソソーム膜上に存在するCDCP1が破骨細胞前駆細胞を少量のRANKL存在下に有意に破骨細胞へと誘導することを見出し、前立腺癌の骨転移進展メカニズムの一端を明らかにした。さらに、骨転移を有する前立腺癌患者の血漿中では、骨転移のない前立腺癌患者と比較してCDCP1の発現値が上昇しており、バイオマーカーとしてのCDCP1の可能性も報告した。この成果により、今後CDCP1を標的とした新規治療法の開発や診断マーカーの開発につながることが期待される。