Search for new biomarkers for mesenchymal circulating tumor cells using next-generation TelomeScan

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K07303
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 50020:Tumor diagnostics and therapeutics-related
• Research Institution: Juntendo University
• Principal Investigator: Togo Shinsaku 順天堂大学, 医学部, 准教授 (80365634)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小見山 博光 順天堂大学, 医学部, 非常勤講師 (30348982)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 循環腫瘍細胞 / 肺がん / バイオマーカー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can provide predictable information about the early diagnosis, prognosis and recurrence period in the various types of cancer. CTCs include a variety of subtypes with different functional characteristics. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is considered as an essential process in the metastatic cascade and acquiring chemoresistance. We established further high speed and sensitive CTCs detection system by using the TelomeScan and clarified CTCs with various phenotype including mesenchymal marker and PD-L1, the immuno-check point inhibitor response marker could be as useful and reliable clinical surrogate biomarkers to predict treatment-sensitivity/resistance and recurrence period. We also succussed to detect EML4-ALK mutation-CTC derived from the patient of NSCLC with EML4-ALK mutation to demonstrated detected CTC by TelomeScan was defiantly lung cancer cells revealed the drivers oncogene mutation.

Free Research Field

肺がん

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の目的は、血中循環癌細胞(CTC)検出システムであるテロメスキャン法を用い悪性度が高く従来法では検出が困難であった上皮間葉転換を起こしたCTC（EMT-CTC）、免疫チェックポイント阻害剤の奏功に関連するPD-L1を発現するPDL-1-CTCの定量が可能となった。非小細胞肺がんの早期診断から個別化医療に向けた革新的な手法であることを立証し、世界初の画期的な臨床応用システムの基盤形成を行った。薬事承認申請までを視野に入れた研究開発であり,テロメスキャンによるCTC検出法から,様々ながん患者のがん関連死亡の減少と生存期間の延長により、国民の生活に寄与することが期待される。