| Speaker: | Hideyuki Saya (The Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University ) |
|---|---|
| Title: | Landscape analysis of cancer tissue: Intersection of astrophysics and tumor biology |
| Date (JST): | Wed, Dec 15, 2021, 10:30 - 12:00 |
| Place: | Zoom |
| Abstract: |
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subset of tumor cells that are responsible for initiating and maintaining the disease. In the clinical point of view, the most important characteristics of CSCs include their resistance to various therapeutic interventions such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and molecular targeting therapy. Therefore, CSCs need to be identified in cancer tissues and completely eliminated for eradication of cancers. To achieve this end, we generated induced cancer stem cells (iCSCs) by introducing one or two particular genetic alterations into normal mouse somatic cells. Transplantation of the iCSCs in mice resulted in development of various malignant tumors displaying heterogenous histology and high propensity for distant metastasis, which were extremely similar pathologic properties to human sporadic tumors. By using this iCSC system, we are analyzing the landscape of cancer tissues to develop new therapeutic strategies for refractory cancers. In my presentation, I would like to start from the current status of the forefront of cancer research and then talk about the concept and importance of CSCs. Furthermore, I will introduce our interdisciplinary collaborative efforts with Kavli IPMU at The University of Tokyo for detection of CSCs from outside of the body by combination of iCSC technology and the highly sensitive hard X-ray and gamma-ray detectors. This 3D imaging system allows us not only to detect CSCs but also to eliminate them by further development. |
