To identify a protein to facilitate metastasis cancer.

Research results and have found the world's first protein to facilitate the transition of cancer, Nakayama, Kyushu University professor (molecular Medical Science) from the team announced the US scientific journal Journal of Clinical inventory Institute gation of the 2nd was. The existing hepatitis treatment, was confirmed experimentally in mice also has the effect of suppressing the metastasis to interfere with the function of the protein. Research team to speak with "validity to humans, it is necessary to wait for the future of clinical trials (clinical trials), but expected Motel because side effects are less medicine".
Cancer that year nearly 400,000 people will die in the country, the treatment becomes difficult in transition such as in other organs and progress. The cancer cells advance the development of drugs that target, but there was no purpose of medicine to suppress the metastasis.
Team, the cancer has metastasized, note that a cell can have a population of normal cells, called "cancer niche" around, and help the growth of cancer cells. First, analyze the breast cancer patient's blood, people are less specific protein was confirmed that it is easy to cancer recurrence. Further the transplanted cancer cells in mice without the protein, another protein that emits a signal to attract the normal cells to cancer niche increases in the body, it has been found that cancer metastasis is accelerated.
Proteins to issue a signal, B hepatitis virus is related to how the inflamed. Therefore, when being used as a chronic hepatitis treatment "Seroshion" (the generic name propagermanium) administered to mice, to nearly zero transition of breast cancer, metastasis of skin cancer malignant was suppressed to less than one third that.
Nakayama Professor speak "We quickly until it is approved by the country to take about five years. Use please wait until it. And I start taking it back and forth to cancer surgery to remove, should prevent the recurrence and metastasis." It is a long time to approval. I expect that the reach early good news to the people who are fighting cancer.



がんを転移しやすくするたんぱく質を世界で初めて突き止めたとの研究成果を、中山・九州大教授（分子医科学）らのチームが２日の米科学誌ジャーナル・オブ・クリニカル・インベスティゲーションに発表した。既存の肝炎治療薬に、このたんぱく質の働きを妨げて転移を抑える効果があることもマウスの実験で確かめた。研究チームは「ヒトへの有効性は今後の治験（臨床試験）を待つ必要があるが、副作用が少ない薬なので期待が持てる」と話す。
　国内で年間４０万人近くが死亡するがんは、進行すると他の臓器などに転移して治療が難しくなる。がん細胞を標的にした薬の開発が進むが、転移を抑える目的の薬はなかった。
　チームは、がんが転移すると、細胞のまわりに「がんニッチ」と呼ばれる正常な細胞の集団ができ、がん細胞の成長を助けることに注目。まず、乳がん患者の血液を分析し、特定のたんぱく質が少ない人はがんを再発しやすいことを確かめた。さらに、このたんぱく質をなくしたマウスにがん細胞を移植したところ、がんニッチに正常細胞を呼び寄せる信号を出す別のたんぱく質が体内で増え、がんの転移が早まることが分かった。
　信号を出すたんぱく質は、Ｂ型肝炎ウイルスが炎症を起こす仕組みにも関係している。そこで慢性肝炎治療薬として使われている「セロシオン」（一般名プロパゲルマニウム）をマウスに投与すると、乳がんの転移はほぼゼロに、悪性の皮膚がんの転移は３分の１以下に抑えられたという。
　中山教授は「国に承認されるまで早くて５年程度かかる。使用はそれまで待ってほしい。がんの摘出手術に前後して服用を始めれば、再発や転移を防げるはずだ」と話す。承認までの時間が長いですね。ガンと戦っている人たちに朗報が早く届くことを期待します。