Aerotaxis in cancer cells

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26430117
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Tumor biology
• Research Institution: Saga University
• Principal Investigator: Takahashi Eiji 佐賀大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (30206792)
• Research Collaborator: YAHARA Disuke 佐賀大学, 大学院工学系研究科, 大学院生 ; YOSHIDA Takuma 佐賀大学, 大学院工学系研究科, 大学院生 ; ENOKIDA Yuya 佐賀大学, 大学院工学系研究科, 大学院生 ; OKUBO Kaima 佐賀大学, 大学院工学系研究科, 大学院生 ; TSURUNO Yusuke 佐賀大学, 大学院工学系研究科, 大学院生 ; FUJIWARA Takahiro 佐賀大学, 大学院工学系研究科, 大学院生
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: がん細胞 / 血行性遠隔転移 / 酸素 / pH / 細胞遊走 / 低酸素微小環境

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To elucidate the initial step of hematogenous metastasis of tumors, we hypothesized that migration of tumor cells might be directed by extracellular gradients of metabolic substrates/metabolites particularly by oxygen and/or H+. We first developed a novel technique to produce metabolic gradients in monolayers of cultured cell (MDA-MB-231 cells) in which cell migrations can be tracked for up to 24 hrs. We found significant directional migrations of the cell toward higher oxygen concentration or lower H+ concentration. These directional migrations were demonstrated in unphysiologically high oxygen concentrations (eg. 21%) while changes in extracellular H+ gradients in physiological ranges appeared to affect the directionality. From these results, we conclude that migrations of MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro seem to be directed by extracellular pH gradients.

Free Research Field

酸素の生理学