他臓器への転移機構を解明することは, 乳がん患者の予後改善につながると考えられる。本研究では, 転移の最終ステップであるcolonizationに関わる分子機構を明らかにすることを目的とした。ヒトHER2乳がんおよびトリプルネガティブ乳がん細胞株をマウス左心室内に注入して乳がんの遠隔転移モデルを作製し, 転移巣からRNAを抽出してRNA-seq解析を行った。転移巣と原発巣において, がん細胞と周辺細胞由来の双方の発現遺伝子について解析を行い, がん細胞が転移先の組織に定着するのに重要な役割を果たす因子(転移ニッチ)の同定を試みた。それらの因子は転移がんの治療の標的となる可能性がある。
Our understanding of the causes and treatment of primary breast cancer has advanced, however, the biological and molecular mechanisms of distant metastases have not been clearly defined and remain uncontrolled. It has recently been reported that metastasizing cancer cells interact with their microenvironments, and that the microenvironmental factors do play an important role in promoting metastasis, as niches. We have developed distant metastasis mouse models by using human triple-negative breast cancer cell lines and HER2 breast cancer cell lines, and we have performed RNA sequencing analysis to identify the genes in secondary tumor tissues, focusing on the tumor microenvironments that contribute to the completion of the metastatic process. A better understanding of the hallmark genes contributing to colonization will provide a better basis for developing new therapeutic strategies and improving the prognosis for breast cancer patients.
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