SPARC Induces COL1A1/COL3A1 Expressions Representing Aggressive Molecular Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Signatures and CSF1-Mediated Cancer Invasion in Colorectal Cancer.

Background: Secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) may play an important role in tumor microenvironment (TME) contribution to metastasis, however molecular mechanism of SPARC contribution to TME remains elusive.

Experimental Design: In this study, SPARC molecular status was explored for its clinical and functional relevance to metastasis in the context of its stromal overexpression, which may represent colorectal cancer (CRC) progression.

Results: SPARC expression was highly specific to cancer stroma of CRC tumors (GSE35608) and exhibited prognostic relevance.

Single-cell spatial analysis with Xenium reveals anti-tumour responses of CXCL13 + T and CXCL9+ cells after radiotherapy combined with anti-PD-L1 therapy.

Background: The standard treatment for unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is anti-PD-L1 therapy combined with chemoradiotherapy (anti-PD-L1-CRT). Although some patients achieve complete cancer eradication and cure, more than half of patients retain persistent cancer cells. Our research aimed to unravel the nuanced mechanisms involved in both immune attack and evasion induced by anti-PD-L1-CRT with single cell spatial transcriptome.

Impact of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol on Perioperative Quality of Life in Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy: A Single-Center Prospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: Enhanced recovery after surgery is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary perioperative care program designed to minimize postoperative complications. Despite its widespread use in urological surgeries, the effect of enhanced recovery after surgery on the quality of life during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy remains unclear. We performed a prospective cohort study to elucidate the effect of enhanced recovery following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy on patients' quality of life.

Dosimetric Study of Biaxially Rotational Dynamic Radiation Therapy for Hippocampal-Sparing Whole Brain Irradiation.

Although hippocampal-sparing whole-brain irradiation (HS-WBI) offers potential neurocognitive benefits, it poses challenges in treatment planning. This study aimed to compare the dose distributions of biaxially rotational dynamic radiation therapy (BROAD-RT) with a novel O-ring-type linear accelerator (OXRAY) and conventional non-coplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) planning (Conv-VMAT) in HS-WBI treatment plans. This study included 10 patients with brain metastases from lung cancer at our institution.

Preoperative skeletal muscle density measured as an assessment of sarcopenia is correlated with postoperative complications in patients undergoing highly invasive surgery for upper abdominal cancer.

Purpose: Sarcopenia is characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and physical ability and is a well-established predictor of postoperative complications. However, the optimal method for preoperative assessment remains controversial. This study evaluated preoperative skeletal muscle density using computed tomography as a surrogate marker for sarcopenia to predict postoperative complications in patients undergoing highly invasive surgery for upper abdominal cancer.

Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim plus rifampicin combination therapy for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection: An in vitro study.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is highly drug-resistant. The current Japanese guidelines (2019 edition) for managing and treating MRSA infections mention alternative anti-MRSA agents, including sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (ST) and rifampicin (RFP). Both ST and RFP are oral drugs and are expected to be effective alternatives to anti-MRSA drugs in clinical cases where anti-MRSA drugs are not indicated.

Lipidomic analysis coupled with machine learning identifies unique urinary lipid signatures in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome.

Purpose: To identify biomarkers for diagnosis and classification of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) by urinary lipidomics coupled with machine learning.

Methods: Urine samples from 138 patients with IC/BPS, including 116 with Hunner lesion (HL) and 22 with no HL, and 71 controls were assessed by lipid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Single and paired lipid analyses of differentially expressed lipids in each group were conducted to assess their diagnostic ability.

Successful detection of an unrecognized outbreak of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the modern Beijing subfamily through combined molecular epidemiological and population genetic analyses.

Introduction: While multi-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) as molecular epidemiological analysis has been used to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis outbreaks, its discriminatory power for identifying strains is limited. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) offers high discriminatory power but is expensive. This study was established to develop a strategy to overcome these limitations of molecular epidemiological analysis by combining it with population genetic analysis.

Do hilar clamping and renorrhaphy influence postoperative renal function after partial nephrectomy?

Preservation of renal function is an important goal of partial nephrectomy (PN) for renal tumors. Several attempts to preserve postoperative renal function, including hilar control surgery and omission of renal cortical renorrhaphy, have been reported, but the influence of each procedure remains controversial. We conducted a literature review based on PubMed to summarize the current situation and clarify the influence of each procedure on postoperative renal function.

Clinical outcomes of proton beam therapy for inoperable stage I-IIA non-small cell lung cancer: Japanese nationwide registry study.

Purpose: Radiotherapy is the standard treatment for unresectable stage I-IIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). One treatment option within radiotherapy is proton beam therapy (PBT). Currently, a prospective observational study is being conducted at all proton therapy centers in Japan as part of a proton beam all-case registry.

Clinical Outcomes of Patients Receiving Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Dose De-escalation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma at the Hepatic Hilum.

Background/aim: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for centrally located hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) can cause severe central biliary toxicity. However, dose de-escalation SBRT has the potential to reduce biliary toxicity with excellent tumor control. Therefore, we aimed to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of de-escalated SBRT in patients with hepatic hilum HCC.

Atezolizumab following definitive chemoradiotherapy in patients with unresectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma - a multicenter phase 2 trial (EPOC1802).

Platinum-based definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) is the standard treatment for patients with unresectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) that invades the aorta, vertebral body or trachea; however, complete response rates remain low (11-25%), leading to poor survival. To evaluate the additive efficacy of the anti-PD-L1 antibody drug atezolizumab, we conducted a phase 2, multicenter, single-arm trial of 1 year of atezolizumab treatment following dCRT in 40 patients with unresectable locally advanced ESCC recruited from seven Japanese centers (UMIN000034373). The confirmed complete response (cCR) rate (primary end point) of the first consecutive 38 patients was 42.

Impact of thermal denaturation on renal volume reduction after partial nephrectomy using soft coagulation hemostasis.

Partial nephrectomy has become the gold standard treatment for small renal masses. This study aimed to assess the impact of soft coagulation hemostasis on parenchymal volume reduction of the operated kidney after an open partial nephrectomy. We retrospectively reviewed 94 patients with small renal tumors who underwent open partial nephrectomy with soft-coagulation hemostasis at our institution.

A simplified scoring system for predicting treatment response in limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (EAST score).

Aims: This study aimed at developing a scoring system (EAST score) to predict recurrence after chemoradiotherapy in limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC).

Patients & Methods: Treatment-naïve LS-SCLC patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) ( = 234) or sequential chemoradiotherapy ( = 53) were retrospectively reviewed. Using data from CCRT population, clinical and radiological variables associated with disease progression were identified.

High Fracture Risk of Femoral Bone Metastasis Treated with Palliative Radiotherapy in Recent Years.

Bone-modifying agents (BMAs) have been widely used to reduce skeletal-related events, including pathological fractures. Herein, we aimed to clarify the incidence of pathological fractures caused by high-risk femoral bone metastases after palliative radiotherapy (RT) in the BMA era and evaluate the necessity of prophylactic surgical stabilization. We assessed 90 patients with high-risk femoral bone metastases, indicated by Mirels' scores ≥ 8, without pathological fractures and surgical fixations, who received palliative RT at our institution between January 2009 and December 2018.

Mathematical Modeling Predicts Optimal Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor and Radiotherapy Combinations and Timing of Administration.

Radiotherapy (RT) combined with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has attracted substantial attention due to its potential to improve outcomes for patients with several types of cancer. However, the optimal administration timepoints and drug combinations remain unclear because the mechanisms underlying RT-induced changes in immune checkpoint molecule expression and interaction with their ligand(s) remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated the dynamics of lymphocyte-mediated molecular interactions in tissue samples from patients with esophageal cancer throughout RT schedules.

APRIL/BAFF upregulation is associated with clonal B-cell expansion in Hunner-type interstitial cystitis.

Hunner-type interstitial cystitis (HIC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the urinary bladder with an unknown etiology. We conducted comprehensive immunogenomic profiling of bladder specimens obtained by biopsy and cystectomy from 37 patients with HIC. Next-generation RNA sequencing demonstrated abundant plasma cell infiltration with frequent light chain restriction in HIC-affected bladder tissue.

A giant pelvic arteriovenous malformation.

Introduction: Pelvic arteriovenous malformations are rare in male patients. We present a case of pelvic arteriovenous malformation involving the seminal vesicle.

Case Presentation: A 58-year-old man was diagnosed with pelvic arteriovenous malformation that involved the left seminal vesicle by angiography.

Fibroblasts activation by embryonic signal switching: A novel mechanism of placental growth factor-induced cardiac remodeling.

Introduction: Cardiac remodeling is defined as cellular interstitial changes that lead dysfunction of the heart after injury. Placental growth factor (PlGF), a member of the VEGF family, has been reported to regulate cardiac hypertrophy in hemodynamic state. We therefore analyze the function of PlGF during cardiac remodeling using cardiac cells and fibroblasts, under Angiotensin II (AngII) stimulation.