Dr. Fukamachi from Japan stays in AMC, Korea: Part4
A3 Foresight Program: Collaborative Research on the Role of Epigenetic Pathway in Gastric Carcinogenesis
Report of a visit to AMC in Korea (February 28 to March 10, 2011)
HIROSHI FUKAMACHI (Department of Molecular Oncology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University)
Host researcher
Prof. Se Jin Jang (Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine)
Summary
I visited again Prof. Se Jin Jang’s laboratory (Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul) in Korea to examine mice into which FACS-sorted cells were subcutaneously injected in my previous visits in last August and December. I also carried out additional experiments to identify gastric tumor-initiating cells using freshly dissected gastric tumor specimen. We found two successful cases in which surface antigen-expressing cells formed tumors while non-expressing cells did not. During my stay in Seoul, I visited Dr. Han-Kwang Yang at Seoul National University Hospital to discuss with him on collaborative research. I deeply thank Prof. Se Jin Jang, Dr. Hyang Sook Seol and other members of AMC for giving me a chance to do experiment in a wonderful institute.
1. Background
As described in my previous report (“Dr. Fukamachi from Japan stays in AMC, Korea: Part 3”), we have been trying to identify gastric tumor-initiating cells in newly-dissected human gastric tumors. A purpose of my visit was to examine whether tumors were formed in mice into which FACS-sorted tumor cells were subcutaneously injected in our previous experiments. Another purpose was to carry out additional experiments to increase the number of cases to obtain statistically significant difference, in collaboration with researchers in AMC including Professor Jang and Dr. Seol.
2. The experiment in AMC.
We found two successful cases in which surface antigen-expressing cells formed tumors in mice into which FACS-sorted cells were injected in previous experiments while non-expressing cells did not. We found a successful case in a previous experiment. Thus the number of successful cases was three now. We hope that we can get more cases soon to obtain statistically significant difference between antigen-expressing and non-expressing cells on their tumorigenicity.
3. Discussion with Professor Han-Kwang Yang of SNUH
I visited Seoul National University Hospital to discuss with Professor Han-Kwang Yang , Chief of Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery on collaborative research with him. Prof. Yang is a leading surgeon on laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer, and we hope that our research will develop more rapidly by collaboration with his research team.
4. Acknowledgments
I deeply thank Prof. Jang and Dr. Seol for their help and kindness during my stay in AMC. A skilled help by Ms. Hey-Jin Jeung, Asan Life Science Laboratory in analyzing cell surface antigens by FACS is also deeply acknowledged.
