第1223回 生物科学セミナー
演者: Prof. Steven M. Hill
Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA
演題：Disruption of the Circadian/Melatonin Signal in Breast Cancer Drives Human
Breast Cancer Cells and Xenografts to a Drug-Resistant and Metastatic Phenotype
日時：平成30年06月18日（木）17：30〜18：30
Over the past decade, it has become clear that disruption of the circadian clock in humans by
exposure to artificial light at night (LAN) is associated with an increased risk for development
of various cancers, particularly breast cancer in women. Unfortunately, the mechanisms associated
with LAN driven breast cancer risk have not been well described. Our research team has focused
on the impact of the more insidious light contamination by dim LAN (dLAN). The prevalence of
sleep disorders, stress, night shift work, and the pervasiveness of light pollution augmented
by the relationship between dLAN-induced disruption/suppression of nighttime circadian melatonin
production by the pineal gland, circadian clock dysregulation and disruption, and breast cancer
drug-resistance and metastasis are significant in our modern day society. Thus, it is imperative
to elucidate the interactive mechanisms by which pervasive exposure to dLANinduced suppression
of MLT dysregulates breast tumor peripheral oscillator kinases, core oscillator proteins, and
oscillator-controlled EMT/metastasis proteins, specifically c-MYC, to drive breast tumors to
EMT/metastasis. I will discuss our recent progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms
(clock and off-clock) of dLAN-induced circadian oscillator disruption in breast cancer and the
hypothesis that disruption of the circadian melatonin signal is central to this process.
Additionally, I will talk about our efforts to test this hypothesis prospectively in rodent
models and retrospectively by data mining verified clinical databases. Finally, I will cover
future implications of our work and its impact on the treatment and progression of breast cancer.
世話人：理学系研究科 深田 吉孝
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懇親会の様子
