The detection of viable human circulating tumor cellsin resectable pancreatic cancer

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25462129
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Digestive surgery
• Research Institution: Department of Clinical Research, National Hospital Organization Kure Medical Center
• Principal Investigator: TANEMURA Masahiro 独立行政法人国立病院機構(呉医療センター臨床研究部), その他部局等, その他 (30379250)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): MIYOSHI Eiji 大阪大学, 医学系研究科, 教授 (20322183) ; EGUCHI Hidetoshi 大阪大学, 医学系研究科, 准教授 (90542118)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 膵癌 / 循環癌細胞 / 癌幹細胞 / 糖鎖 / 創薬 / テロメスキャン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The detection of increase in the number of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) during a patient’s clinical course may be a harbinger of forthcoming overt metastasis. To detect live CTCs (l-CTCs) in blood samples of patients (pts), we employed a genetically modified telomerase-specific replication-selective adenovirous, expressing GFP (TelomeScanF35). We assessed the l-CTCs burden in pts treated with NACRT. 15 pts aged 44-78 years (4 males, 11 females) were enrolled. 5 of 15 enrolled pts had l-CTCs detected before NACRT. An increase in CTCs was seen in 4 of 5 pts after NACRT, but no detectable l-CTCs were observed in only 1 pt after NACRT. These 4 CTC-positive pts continuously had CTCs detected after surgery. 2 of 4 CTC-positive pts early developed liver metastasis and died, despite R0 resection. We may consider surgery first for the CTC-positive pts before NACRT. The capture of l-CTCs may be useful biomarker for prognosis assessment or stratification.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学、消化器外科学