Integrated analysis of genetic and epigenetic alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma.

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26293172
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Gastroenterology
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Marusawa Hiroyuki 京都大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (80324630)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 肝癌 / 遺伝子変異 / AID

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Liver cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, generally arise in liver chronically inflamed due to various diseases such as hepatitis virus infection and steatohepatitis. Chronic inflammation triggers the aberrant expression of a DNA mutator enzyme, activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), and contributes to tumorigenesis through the accumulation of genetic aberrations. To gain further insight into the inflammation-mediated genotoxic events required for carcinogenesis, we examined the role of chronic inflammation in the emergence of genetic aberrations in the liver with constitutive AID expression. We found that inflammation-mediated transcriptional upregulation of target genes, including putative tumor suppressor genes, enhances the opportunity for inflamed cells to acquire somatic mutations and contributes to the acceleration of tumorigenesis in the inflamed liver tissues.

Free Research Field

消化器病学