A study on biological significance of EML4-ALK fusion gene in radiation thyroid cancer

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25430131
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Tumor biology
• Research Institution: Radiation Effects Research Foundation
• Principal Investigator: HAMATANI Kiyohiro 公益財団法人放射線影響研究所, 分子生物科学部, 顧問 (80344414)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HONDA Hiroaki 広島大学, 原爆放射線医科学研究所, 教授 (40245064)
• Research Collaborator: KOYAMA Kazuaki
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: EML4-ALK融合遺伝子 / 甲状腺乳頭がん / コンディショナルトランスジェニックマウス / 放射線 / 組織学的特徴

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To clarify the role of EML4-ALK fusion gene in radiation thyroid carcinogenesis, we conducted in vitro X-ray irradiation experiments using immortalized human thyroid epithelial cells and carcinogenesis experiments using conditional transgenic mice with this fusion gene. X-ray irradiation of thyroid cells resulted in increased EML4-ALK fusion events with increased dose, suggesting that EML4-ALK fusion gene found in papillary thyroid cancers among atomic bomb survivors resulted from atomic bomb radiation.
On the other hand, the expression levels of the EML4-ALK fusion gene in the obtained transgenic mouse were not high, and then thyroid cancer was not formed in such transgenic mice. At least, development of thyroid cancers is supposed to require high level expression of this fusion gene.

Free Research Field

放射線発がん