Elucidation of the role of PERK signaling pathway in tumor microenvironment and its application for drug discovery

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24650626
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Tumor biology
• Research Institution: Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research
• Principal Investigator: TOMIDA Akihiro 公益財団法人がん研究会, がん化学療法センター, ゲノム研究部 部長 (40251483)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: がん微小環境 / UPR / 小胞体ストレス / PERK / グルコース飢餓 / 低酸素

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The UPR (unfolded protein response) is a cellular adaptive mechanism that plays an important role in cancer cell survival and proliferation within particular tumor microenvironment. In this study, we focused on two proteins: one is PERK, a central regulatory protein in the UPR, and the other is TBL2, a new function molecule which can interact with PERK during stress. Then, we examined roles of the PERK signaling pathway in cancer cell adaptation to tumor microenvironment by knocking down PERK or TBL2. In addition, aiming at the development of treatment strategy, we searched factors which had a synthetic lethal relationship under conditions inhibiting function of the PERK signaling pathway.

Free Research Field

分子細胞生物学