Investigating cancer-immunoescape mechanism and effective immuunotherapy for ovarian cancer

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25462614
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Obstetrics and gynecology
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Hiroshi Nishio 慶應義塾大学, 医学部, 特任助教 (90445239)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): IWATA TAKASHI 慶應義塾大学, 医学部, 専任講師 (30296652)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): YAGUCHI TOMONORI 慶應義塾大学, 医学部, 助教 (40424163)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 卵巣がん / 免疫逃避

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Cancer-induced immunosuppression is one of the major problems for development of cancer immunotherapies. A transcriptional factor HNF-1β preferentially activated in human ovarian clear cell cancer (OCCC) have been reported. We have investigated roles of HNF-1β in the immunosuppressive activity of human OCCC. HNF-1β knockdown and overexpression experiments revealed that HNF-1β induced immunosuppressive cytokine production. In vitro suppressive activities of human OCCC culture supernatants on dendritic cell were reduced by knockdown of HNF-1β in cancer cells. In the mice model, knockdown of HNF-1β in the cancer cells resulted in restoration of T cell stimulatory activity of murine splenic DC in spleens and tumors. Therefore, HNF-1β activation in human OCCC is an upstream event for induction of immunosuppression, and is an attractive target for restoring immunocompetence in OCCC patients.

Free Research Field

産婦人科学