Establishment of the diagnosis of early pancreatic cancer by analysis of pancreatic juice-derived exosomal microRNA

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K16844
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 50020:Tumor diagnostics and therapeutics-related
• Research Institution: Kurume University
• Principal Investigator: SAKAUE TAKAHIKO 久留米大学, 医学部, 助教 (90597402)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 膵癌 / 早期診断 / バイオマーカー / エクソソーム / microRNA / 膵液 / 血清診断

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We succeeded in identifying two pancreatic cancer-specific microRNAs derived from exosomes in pancreatic juice using our original method. Subsequent validation using 15 cases of pancreatic juice from patients with pancreatic cancer and 11 cases of pancreatic juice from patients with chronic pancreatitis showed higher sensitivity, specificity and positive detection rate than existing tumor markers and pancreatic juice cytology. Furthermore, by adding these two microRNAs to the pancreatic juice cytology, it was shown that the microRNAs are more useful as biomarkers for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
In addition, a study on the application to serodiagnosis in a small number of cases showed promising results, suggesting the possibility of derivation for serodiagnosis. Furthermore, the fact that its expression was decreased in serum after curative resection of pancreatic cancer suggested its usefulness as a monitoring of treatment effect.

Free Research Field

消化器病学、臨床腫瘍学(特に胆膵の悪性腫瘍)

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究が膵癌患者に寄与しうる効果は大きく二つある。一つ目は早期診断への応用、および病態のモニタリングである。画像診断で顕在化する前に膵癌を捉えることで飛躍的に早期膵癌を発見することが可能となり、5 年生存率向上に寄与することができる。また、治療（切除、化学療法、放射線治療など）後の効果判定や病勢のモニタリングに使える可能性がある。二つ目に、本研究で同定された新規 microRNAs の標的遺伝子が新たな治療標的となり得るため、創薬にまで発展させることが出来る可能性がある。