[Mar 15]＊D5 Medical & Life Science Seminar＊

March 1 2018

Date       : March 15, 2018 (Thursday)     

Time      : 17:30 -

Venue    : IRCMS 1F Meeting Lounge

Speaker : Masaya Baba, M.D., Ph.D. 

Title        : The molecular basis of kindney cancer

More than 85% of kidney cancer is composed of Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC), which is derived from renal tubular epithelial cells. The incidence rate of RCC is not very high compared to other common type of cancers, including lung cancer and colorectal cancer. But the incidence rate and mortality rate of RCC are increasing these days. In addition, discovery and functional analysis of RCC related genes have contributed not only to the clarification of molecular mechanisms of RCC but also to the research development of many fundamental biological pathways. Through the study of hereditary RCC syndromes, many important novel genes have been identified such as the VHL gene responsible for von Hippel-Lindau disease, FLCN gene responsible for Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome, and several previously known genes were rediscovered to have new essential functions including the MET protooncogene which is mutated in hereditary papillary RCC and FH (fumarate hydratase), the TCA cycle gene responsible for another hereditary RCC syndrome. Most of these RCC responsible genes are implicated in metabolic pathways and characterize RCC as a distinct type of cancer from other type of cancers. In this lecture, I will review and discuss following topics.

1) Introduction about RCC
2) Discovery and functional role of genes responsible for RCC
3) Role of a tumor suppressor FLCN