Detection of circulating tumor cells with novel microfluidic system in lung cancer

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K09293
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 55040:Respiratory surgery-related
• Research Institution: University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
• Principal Investigator: Fumhiro Tanaka 産業医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (10283673)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 米田 和恵 兵庫医科大学, 医学部, 非常勤講師 (80724806)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 循環腫瘍細胞 / 肺癌 / マイクロ流路システム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A preliminary study was conducted to efficiently capture and detect circulating tumor cells (CTCs) by a newly developed microfluidic system (CTC-chip). Using an antibody against epithelial cell adhesion factor (EpCAM), we constructed a system that can capture tumor cells (especially cancer cells with epithelial phenotype) in the blood with high sensitivity.
Since blood contains lymphocytes as well as CTCs, cytokeratin- and nuclear-stain-positive and CD45-negative cells were identified as CTCs. The captured cells were determined by immunofluorescence staining on the CTC chip. Blood samples from actual lung cancer patients were analyzed using this detection system, and the group with CTCs detected had a significantly poorer prognosis than the group without CTCs detected.

Free Research Field

呼吸器外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

癌の転移様式としての血行転移はこれまで多くの状況証拠を基に提唱されていたが、実際に血中から癌細胞を分離・採取することは困難であった。しばらく後に抗原抗体反応を利用して血中を流れる腫瘍細胞(循環腫瘍細胞, CTC)を捕捉する概念が生まれ、様々な固形癌で試行されてきた。しかし、肺癌においては捕捉率が低く、感度や特異度の高いCTCの捕捉系の構築が望まれていた。当科ではマイクロ流路デバイスに上皮細胞接着因子の抗体をコーティングすることで、感度及び特異度の高いCTCの捕捉デバイスを構築することが出来た。これによって、癌患者の予後や治療への耐性獲得を予測することが可能となり、臨床の一助となることができる。