TR research toward the establishment of personalized cancer radiation therapy

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21KK0144
• Research Category: Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research (B))
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 52:General internal medicine and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Harada Hiroshi 京都大学, 生命科学研究科, 教授 (80362531)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 吉村 通央 京都大学, 医学研究科, 准教授 (40597936) ; 小林 稔 京都大学, 生命科学研究科, 特定助教 (40644894) ; 諏訪 達也 京都大学, 生命科学研究科, 研究員 (00914863)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-10-07 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: がん / 微小環境 / 低酸素 / バイオマーカー / 増感

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Hypoxic regions in malignant tumor tissues, where blood cancer cells cannot be supplied with sufficient oxygen, induce malignant phenotypes and treatment resistance of cancer cells. We have previously elucidated the mechanism of cancer recurrence, in which hypoxic cancer cells surviving radiotherapy invade toward blood vessels, leading to cancer recurrence. We have also identified novel gene networks that enhances cancer growth, invasion, and/or metastatic potential. To translate these findings into the personalized medicine, we have conducted international collaborative research with the University of Oxford to elucidate the activation mechanism of the pathway, to obtain POCs that target the pathway, and to create substances that inhibit the pathway. We also developed a blood marker to predict patients with high hypoxic fractions in a tumor tissue who would benefit from this novel therapeutic strategy.

Free Research Field

放射線腫瘍生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

低酸素刺激に曝されたがん細胞の中で活性化する新規遺伝子経路の作用機序と機能を解明することで、がんの本質理解の深化に繋がった。また、がん治療における放射線治療の限界を克服し、がんの再発と治療抵抗性を減少させる新たなアプローチの可能性を提示した。がん患者の生存率と生活の質の改善に対いて将来的に貢献することが期待される。