Cancer Stem Cell Clinical Trial
Official title:
To Study the Effect of Fursultiamine in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients Who Receive Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy
| Verified date | April 2015 |
| Source | National Cheng-Kung University Hospital |
| Contact | n/a |
| Is FDA regulated | No |
| Health authority | |
| Study type | Interventional |
Esophageal cancer is a common and fatal malignancy. It is the eighth most common incident
cancer and the sixth leading cause of cancer death in the world. In Taiwan, esophageal cancer
was newly diagnosed in 2199 patients and was the cause of 1507 deaths in 2011. Squamous cell
carcinoma is the predominant histological tumor type, accounting for about 90% of the cases.
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an aggressive disease, characterized with
extensive local growth and frequent metastases. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with or
without surgery is the treatment option for locally advanced ESCC. Further, target therapy is
used in conjunction with CCRT and surgery in ESCC since several years ago. However, the
therapeutic outcomes are not satisfactory due to the emergence of chemo-radioresistance. It
is imperative to investigate new biomarkers and to find novel treatment targets in ESCC.
A small population of tumor-initiating cells or cancer stem cells (CSCs) possess some
biological functions like normal stem cells, including self-renewal, asymmetric cell
division, slowly proliferation rate and drug-resistance. CSCs from many primary tumors and
cell lines express specific stem cell markers, including Oct4, Sox2, Nanog, CD133
(promimin-1), Nestin, CD44 ,CD24, ALDH (Aldehyde dehydrogenase) and c-Kit. There are many
evidences that CSCs are responsible for tumor initiation, progression and metastasis. CSCs
are also believed to have important roles in cancer recurrence due to their resistance to
anti-cancer drugs and radiation. CSCs express high levels of ATP-binding cassette (ABC)
transporters. ABC transporter can pump cytotoxic drugs out of cells and is one important
mechanism of multidrug resistance in CSCs. In addition, CSCs have high reactive oxygen
species (ROS) scavenger expression to remove ROS produced from irradiation therapy.
Fursultiamine (also known as thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide, TTFD) is a derivative of
vitamin B and currently used for nutrition supplement. The investigators have identified that
Fursultiamine suppressed OCT-4, SOX-2, NANOG expression and decreased ABCB1 and ABCG2 in
tumor sphere of ESCC cell lines. In this project, the investigators will conduct a
prospective phase II study to investigate the effect of Fursultiamine combined with CCRT in
ESCC patients. Stem cell markers in clinical specimens collected before and after CCRT will
be evaluated.
| Status | Completed |
| Enrollment | 20 |
| Est. completion date | December 2017 |
| Est. primary completion date | December 2017 |
| Accepts healthy volunteers | No |
| Gender | All |
| Age group | 20 Years to 75 Years |
| Eligibility |
Inclusion Criteria: - newly diagnosed stage II and III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma Exclusion Criteria: - ECOG?2; - impaired function of lung, liver, kidney or bone marrow |
| Country | Name | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | National Cheng Kung University Hospital | Tainan |
| Lead Sponsor | Collaborator |
|---|---|
| National Cheng-Kung University Hospital |
Taiwan,
| Type | Measure | Description | Time frame | Safety issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Progression-free survival | 5 year |