The development of a new treatment for head and neck cancer by inducing autophagic cell death

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25670714
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Otorhinolaryngology
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Tsuji Akira 金沢大学, 医学系, 助教 (70632652)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 脇坂 尚宏 金沢大学, 大学病院, 講師 (70377414)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 上咽頭癌 / オートファジー / シスプラチン / クロロキン / 細胞死

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Autophagy can help cancer cells to overcome metabolic stress and the cytotoxicity of chemotherapy.Beclin1 has been well-characterized to play a pivotal role in autophagy. Cisplatin (CDDP) is central to the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Autophagy may contribute to acquire resistance to chemotherapeutic agents, but it is unclear that inhibition of autophagy promotes death of cancer cells or tumor growth. In this study, we examined the role of autophagy in NPC and Beclin1 was used as an index. Immunohistochemical analysis is performed to evaluate autophagy in NPC tissue.Beclin1 protein levels in NPC cell lines with CDDP and/or CQ were evaluated with Western blot analysis. We also examined the viability of NPC cell lines with CDDP and/or CQ.
Beclin1 expression is significantly higher after chemotherapy than before. In vitro concomitant therapy (CDDP and CQ) was more effective in restraining NPC cells proliferation.

Free Research Field

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