The mechanism of gastric carcinogenesis by abnormal microRNA expression

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K15995
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 53010:Gastroenterology-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Kato Minoru 大阪大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 特任助教 (80939249)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 胃癌 / バイオマーカー / マイクロRNA / ヘリコバクター・ピロリ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study was to investigate the abnormal expression of microRNA in the background gastric mucosa as a risk factor for the development of multiple gastric cancers. We found that the expression of miR-223-3p was different between biopsy specimens from the gastric mucosa of multiple gastric cancer and those from the gastric mucosa of single gastric cancer. The miR-223-3p tends to have low expression in the background gastric mucosa of multiple gastric cancer than in the background gastric mucosa of a single gastric cancer. Meanwhile, there are various confounding factors such as the degree of atrophy of the background gastric mucosa, PPI medication, and the infection status of Helicobacter pylori, and we are therefore currently proceeding with statistical processing, and also planning to further verify whether miR-223-3p can be a predictive factor for the occurrence of synchronous multiple gastric cancers.

Free Research Field

消化管癌

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今後、miR-223-3pが早期胃癌内視鏡切除後の異時性多発癌（二次胃癌）の発生予測因子（バイオマーカー）として確立することができれば、早期胃癌内視鏡切除後に重点的に経過観察が必要となる患者を同定することが可能となりうる。また、そのmiR-223-3pは胃粘膜に発癌への不可逆的なスイッチが入った状態、すなわち“point of no return”を表すバイオマーカーとなる可能性もあり、ヘリコバクター・ピロリ除菌療法の適切なタイミングの同定にもつながる。