Dr. Kenshiro Hirohashi

• Department of Therapeutic Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

Dr. Hirohashi has 10years career as a gastroenterologist, and is involved in more than 10 clinical trials mainly about digestive cancer. While working as a clinician, he is interested in the prevention for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Aiming to study about alcohol mediated ESCC basically, he has belonged to Prof. Manabu Muto’s　laboratory in Department of Therapeutic Oncology of Kyoto University from 2014. Since the laboratory focuses on carcinogenesis of alcohol-related ESCC and has much clinical resources, he is trained as both a basic researcher and a clinical researcher.

It is elucidated that acetaldehyde is the key carcinogens for the esophagus, and gene polymorphisms of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is deeply involved in the increased risk of ESCC, especially in heavy alcohol drinkers. He generated human mutant ALDH2 knock-in mice, and showed the protective effects of Alda-1 (ALDH2 activator) on esophageal DNA damage in those mice with alcohol-drinking. This findings can be the basis for developing a novel prevention for alcohol-mediated esophageal carcinogenesis. (Carcinogenesis 2019, in press).