Spatial transcriptome analysis of highly metastatic tumours to develop new methods for the prediction and treatment of cancer metastasis

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K19551
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 55:Surgery of the organs maintaining homeostasis and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyushu University (2023); Akita University (2022)
• Principal Investigator: Kuba Keiji 九州大学, 医学研究院, 教授 (10451915)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-06-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 扁平上皮癌 / 腫瘍免疫 / 転移 / 空間的トランスクリプトーム / T細胞 / Galectin-7 / がん微小環境 / G-CSF

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of the study was to clarify the role and significance of Galectin-7, a new regulator of lymph node and lung metastasis found in spatial transcriptome analysis of highly metastatic tumors. Although Galectin-7 expression was elevated in areas of tumor immunosuppression, Galectin-7 had little effect on immune cell activation.　Hypoxia also did not affect Galectin-7 expression in cancer cells, but Galectin-7 expression was revealed to be regulated by TNF-a. Furthermore, G-CSF was found to be important for induction of neutrophil infiltration and cell proliferation. Tissue array analysis of human esophageal cancer showed that high G-CSF expression correlated with poor prognosis.

Free Research Field

薬理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果により、Galectin-7の阻害が食道や頭頚部の扁平上皮癌に対する治療に応用できることを世界に先駆けて明らかにした。とりわけGalectin-7の阻害には細胞増殖を抑制する作用がなく転移を特異的に抑えることから、通常の抗がん剤のような副作用の危険性が少ないことが利点であると考えられる。また、本研究で新たにG-CSFが癌細胞の増殖と免疫抑制を促進しがん悪性化に寄与することが分かり、さらに食道癌の予後不良と相関することが明らかになった。Galectin-7とG-CSFの２つの標的を合わせて食道や頭頚部の扁平上皮癌の治療、診断に応用することが期待される。