Nobel therapeutic strategy against human cancer by targeting RCAS1

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24592519
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Obstetrics and gynecology
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: SONODA Kenzo 九州大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (30294929)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: RCAS1 / リンパ球アポトーシス / 腫瘍間質組織 / 血管新生 / ectodomain shedding / 悪性腫瘍 / 治療標的分子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

RCAS1 can induce apoptosis in immune cells including peripheral lymphocytes and natural killer cells after converted to a secreted type by ectodomain shedding. Because RCAS1 not only helps tumor cells to evade immune surveillance but also induces cancer stromal tissue remodeling, RCAS1 is believed to exaggerate aggressive characteristics of human malignancies. RCAS1 expression correlates with several clinicopathological variables including tumor size, stage, invasion depth, and lymph node metastasis and is a negative predictor of overall survival in 15 different kinds of cancer. Novel therapeutic strategies against cancer are now under development by targeting an intriguing biomarker RCAS1.

Free Research Field

婦人科腫瘍学