Analysis of epigenetic alterations in tumor stromal cells and application in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K08383
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Human pathology
• Research Institution: Iwate Medical University
• Principal Investigator: HABANO WATARU 岩手医科大学, 薬学部, 准教授 (50332979)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): Sugai Tamotsu 岩手医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (20187628)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 癌間質 / 腺管分離法 / エピジェネティクス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Genetic alterations accumulate in crypt epithelial cells during colorectal carcinogenesis. We focused on the role of stromal tissue surrounding tumor epithelial cells. Crypt and stromal compartments were isolated from both normal and tumor tissues surgically resected from 2 patients with colorectal cancer, and global DNA methylation profiles were compared among these tissues. Different DNA methylation profile between normal and tumor crypts reveled certain genes responsible for colorectal cancer. Interestingly, there were few, but significant numbers of genes that showed different DNA methylation status between normal and tumor stroma. This suggests that alterations of not only epithelial cells, but also stromal cells, play important roles in colorectal carcinogenesis through an epigenetic mechanism.

Free Research Field

分子腫瘍学