Development of a novel conservative treatment for targeting survival signaling in the External auditory canal squamous cell carcinoma.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K16908
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56050:Otorhinolaryngology-related
• Research Institution: Toho University
• Principal Investigator: Akiyama Naotaro 東邦大学, 医学部, 講師 (90554238)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 癌生存シグナル / 外耳道扁平上皮癌 / EGF / PDPK1 / エレクトロポレーション

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDPK1), an effector molecule of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), is involved in cancer survival signaling through anti-apoptotic effects in head and neck cancers. Using a mouse model overexpressing EGF in the external auditory canal, we investigated the inhibitory effect of EGFR/PDPK1 signaling and revealed that EGF, EGFR, PDPK1, and Ki67 were significantly decreased immunohistochemically and apoptosis was in an apoptotic analysis. It was suggested that EGFR/PDPK1 signal inhibition may exert an anti-tumor effect by induction of apoptosis in squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal.

Free Research Field

耳鼻咽喉科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

外耳道扁平上皮癌は希少がんであり、その病態については不明な点が多い。治療法は手術を第一選択として放射線治療や化学療法が挙げられるが、十分な治療法が確立しているとは言い難い。本研究成果により、新規治療法の開発につながる可能性がある。