2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Analysis of the mechanism for invasive ability by MUC16 and mesothelin in the pancreatic cancer.

Research Project

Project/Area Number	24890208
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Digestive surgery
Research Institution	Wakayama Medical University
Principal Investigator	SHIMIZU Atsushi 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 学内助教 (00637910)
Project Period (FY)	2012-08-31 – 2014-03-31
Keywords	膵癌浸潤規定遺伝子 / MUC16 / mesothelin
Research Abstract	We have identified two specific genes, MUC16 and mesothelin, associated with the invasion process in patients with pancreatic cancer using genome-wide expression profiling (Cancer Sci, 2012). In this study, it was intended to elucidate the mechanism of the invasion and metastasis, associated with EMT, induced by MUC16/mesothelin. By in vitro examination using pancreatic cancer cell line, it was suggested that the presence (and binding) of MUC16 and mesothelin in pancreatic cancer might affect the acquisition of high invasion and metastasis ability through the EMT. MUC16 and mesothelin clinically represent new prognostic biomarkers for PDAC and might be new therapeutic targets for patients with PDAC.