Ai Harako
Graduate School of Medicine, Division of Health Sciences

We study the invasive and metastatic potential of cancer.

In cancer metastasis, cancer cells first penetrate blood vessels and enter into blood vessels. This is called invasion. These invasive cancer cells then enter the bloodstream, penetrate blood vessels again, and proliferate at a different location, resulting in successful metastasis.

Currently, previous studies suggest that the dopamine signaling pathway reduces the invasive potential of cancer. On the other hand, there are reports that cancer cells uncontrolled by radiotherapy increase invasive potential. Therefore, in my research, I am examining whether dopamine D1 receptor agonists have a radiosensitizing effect or not and whether they inhibit metastasis by radiation.