A research group at Keio University has announced that it has elucidated the mechanism by which colorectal cancer recurs after being treated with anticancer drugs.
While the "cancer stem cells" that produce new cancer cells were receiving anticancer drugs, they fell asleep and escaped the attack, so we developed a treatment to prevent recurrence based on this mechanism. Is expected to progress.
This research was published in the scientific journal "Nature" by a group of Professor Toshiro Sato of Keio University.
The research group artificially created a mass of "mini-colorectal cancer" based on the cancer tissue of a colorectal cancer patient and transplanted it to the back of a mouse.
Then, when we observed that only the cancer stem cells glowed, even if an anticancer drug was administered, some cancer stem cells were bound to the "basal membrane" on the surface of the large intestine and became asleep. He escaped the attack of anti-cancer drugs and did not die.
And after the administration of the anticancer drug, the cancer stem cells separated from the "basement membrane" and started to proliferate again.
At this time, the research group also found that a molecule called "YAP" was the trigger, and by disabling this molecule, we decided to develop a treatment method to prevent the recurrence of colorectal cancer, which has the largest number of patients. It is expected that it will be connected.
Professor Sato says, "It is thought that other than colorectal cancer has recurred by the same mechanism. I would like to proceed with research to lead to the development of drugs."