Genecare Research Institute Co., Ltd.

Motoki Takagi

Yasuhiro Furuichi

Akira Shimamoto

Kazunobu Futami

Ayumi Sato

The present invention revealed that by suppressing the expression of the WRN gene, the BLM gene, or the RecQ1 gene, which belong to the RecQ helicase family, apoptosis is induced in various cancer cells and their proliferation is suppressed. Compounds that suppress the expression of RecQ helicase family genes or the functions of RecQ helicase proteins are thought to have the activity of inducing apoptosis.

Apoptosis inducer for cancer cell

The present inventors discovered that inhibition of the expression of various genes associated with chromosome stabilization induces cancer cell-specific apoptosis and inhibits cell proliferation. Compounds that inhibit expression of a gene associated with chromosome stabilization or inhibit the function of a protein encoded by such a gene are thought to have cancer cell-specific apoptosis-inducing effects.

Cancer cell-specific apoptosis-inducing agents that target chromosome stabilization-associated genes

The present inventors discovered that although suppressing expression of the RecQ1 gene, a RecQ helicase family gene, shows suppressive effects on cell proliferation in cancer cells, such effects are not observed in human TIG3 cells (a normal diploid fibroblast cell line), which are normal cells. Hence, the present inventors discovered that siRNAs against RecQ1 gene have cancer cell-specific cell proliferation-suppressing effects that are mediated by suppression of the expression of said gene.

Growing community of inventors

Kamakura, Japan

Motoki Takagi