Molecular analysis and target exploration underlying progression of urologic cancers associated with obesity

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25293332
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Urology
• Research Institution: Akita University
• Principal Investigator: HABUCHI Tomonori 秋田大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (00293861)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): OHYAMA Chikara 弘前大学, 医学系研究科, 教授 (80282135) ; YUASA Takeshi 公益財団法人がん研究会有明病院, 泌尿器科, 副部長 (00314162) ; NANJO Hiroshi 秋田大学, 医学部, 准教授 (70250892) ; NUMAKURA Kazuyuki 秋田大学, 医学系研究科, 助教 (90566415)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SASAKI Takehiko 秋田大学, 医学系研究科, 教授 (50333365) ; NAKANISHI Hiroki 秋田大学, 生体情報センター, 助教 (10466740)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 前立腺癌 / 腎細胞癌 / 高脂肪食 / 肥満 / palmitic acid / fatty acid synthase / MIC-1

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It is strongly suggested that recent remarkable increase in the incidence of urologic cancers may be caused by high-calorie or high-fat diet. In this study, we attempted to delineate the molecular mechanisms underlying the progression associated with high-fat diet or obesity and to find molecular therapeutic and preventive targets, using multi-modal analytical methods, such as animal experiments, molecular cellular biology, molecular epidemiology, clinical materials and metabolomics.
As the results, we showed that palmitic acid, which is the most abundant fatty acids in the body, plays an important role in the progression of prostate cancer via macrophage inhibitory factor 1 (MIC-1), and MIC-1 is a promising target in the cancer treatment. Furthermore, we showed that fatty acid synthase (FASN), which is the important enzymes involved in the production of palmitic acid, plays a significant role in the progression of prostate cancer.

Free Research Field

泌尿器科腫瘍学