Establishment of new diagnostic imaging system for hepatocellular carcinoma and its application to cancer therapy

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23249067
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Digestive surgery
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: KOKUDO Norihiro 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 教授 (00205361)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KARAKO Takashi 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (00313213) ; CHEN Yu 東京大学, 新領域創成科学研究科, 准教授 (00272394) ; ISHIZAWA Takeaki 公益財団法人がん研究会, 有明病院・消化器外科, 副医長 (10422312) ; URANO Yasuteru 東京大学, 薬学系研究科, 教授 (20292956) ; AKIMITSU Nobuyoshi 東京大学, アイソトープ総合センター, 教授 (40294962)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 肝細胞癌 / バイオマーカー / 画像診断 / 治療

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The most effective treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is surgery, but the frequent recurrence of HCC after surgery is a clinical issue. Resolving the problem requires the development of sensitive diagnostic methods and efficacious post-operative therapies. We found that the fluorescent substance indocyanine green (ICG) accumulated in HCC tissue over a period of 1 week. Given this property of ICG, we examined its fluorescence during surgery and we developed an intraoperative diagnostic technique to detect sites of HCC that visual inspection and existing diagnostic images had failed to detect. Moreover, we developed a form of photodynamic therapy that illuminates HCC tissue where ICG has accumulated with near-infrared light to selectively destroy HCC cells. These approaches can help to prevent the recurrence of HCC.

Free Research Field

肝胆膵外科学