Development of therapeutic strategies targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25861525
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Otorhinolaryngology
• Research Institution: Gunma University
• Principal Investigator: Toyoda Minoru 群馬大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (70344942)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 癌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated whether cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) within the tumor microenvironment (TME) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCCHN) contributed to promoting immunosuppression and evasion from immune surveillance.
CAFs suppressed T cell proliferation through B7H1/B7DC, TGF-beta, and VEGF. Moreover, peripheral blood mononuclear cells co-cultured with the supernatants of CAFs preferentially induced T cell apoptosis and regulatory T cells. CAFs could induce the immunosuppressive phenotype of tumor-associated macrophages, and the high intensity of CAFs was the significant independent prognostic factor of SCCHN. Thus, CAFs would collaborate with tumor cells in the TME to establish an immunosuppressive network.

Free Research Field

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