Development of Flow-Fish method for identifying cancer caused by radiation exposure

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K19851
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 63:Environmental analyses and evaluation and related fields
• Research Institution: National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Kakinuma Shizuko 国立研究開発法人量子科学技術研究開発機構, 放射線医学研究所 放射線影響研究部, 研究員 (20392219)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: Flow-Fish法 / 染色体 / 欠失

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we attempted to develop a Flow-FISH method that combines Flow Cytometry (FACS), which can measure information at the single cell level, and Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH), which can detect chromosomal deletions. We performed FISH using a Pax5-BAC probe and a chromosome 4 painting probe on B-cell lymphoma in which the Pax5 region of chromosome 4 had been deleted due to radiation exposure and confirmed the translocation and deletion of the region containing Pax5 by chromosome observation. Cell labeling in liquid was not suitable for FACS analysis because it was difficult to maintain the morphology of the cell and nucleus. We also attempted the dCas9-FISH method, which targets Pax5 in live cells, and succeeded in fluorescently labeling the cell nuclei in some lymphocytes.

Free Research Field

放射線生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

原爆被爆者や医療放射線に被ばくした集団の疫学調査から、被ばくした量に比例してがんのリスクが上昇することが示されている。低レベルの放射線被ばくによる発がんリスクは、自然発症と放射線被ばくによるがんを区別できないため、正確に評価することは困難である。１細胞レベルの情報を測定できるFlow-FISH法が開発できれば、低レベルの放射線被ばくによるがんリスクを直接的に評価する手法や発がんメカニズム解明のブレークスルーに繋がるだけでなく、がんを始めとする染色体異常を伴う疾病の早期発見や診断、治療効果の予測法の開発が実現する。