Analysis of the epithelial stem cell and the regenerative and carcinogenic mechanisms of digestive tract from the point of view of pSmad2/3L-Thr

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25460938
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Gastroenterology
• Research Institution: Kansai Medical University
• Principal Investigator: FUKUI Toshiro 関西医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (60402905)
• Research Collaborator: KISHIMOTO Masanobu 関西医科大学, 医学部, 大学院生 ; TKAHASHI Yu 関西医科大学, 医学部, 大学院生 ; SUZUKI Ryo 関西医科大学, 医学部, 大学院生 ; UCHIDA Kazushige 関西医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (40411516) ; NISHIO Akiyoshi 関西医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (50362463) ; OKAZAKI Kazuichi 関西医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (70145126)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 消化管上皮幹細胞 / 粘膜再生 / 癌化 / マウスモデル / Smad / リン酸化 / 大腸癌 / 癌幹細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In our previous study, we have identified significant expression of Smad2/3, phosphorylated at the specific linker threonine residues (pSmad2/3L-Thr), in murine gastric, small intestinal, and colon epithelial cells and have suggested these cells are their epithelial stem-like cells.
In this study, we have confirmed that pSmad2/3L-Thr can serve as a biomarker for esophageal stem cells. This investigation of Smad2/3 phosphorylation profiles have also clarified that additional carcinogenic pSmad3L-Ser signaling induced by chronic inflammation is an important early event in colitis-associated colorectal cancers.
Furthermore, this study has confirmed that pSmad2/3L-Thr can serve as a biomarker for cancer stem cells of a mouse model of colitis-associated colorectal cancer.

Free Research Field

消化器内科