Transcutaneous immunization using a dissolving microneedle array protects against tetanus, diphtheria, malaria, and influenza.

Transcutaneous immunization (TCI) is an attractive alternative vaccination route compared to the commonly used injection systems. We previously developed a dissolving microneedle array for use as a TCI device, and reported that TCI with the dissolving microneedle array induced an immune response against model antigens. In the present study, we investigated the vaccination efficacy against tetanus and diphtheria, malaria, and influenza using this vaccination system.

Primary Ewing sarcoma of the spine mimicking a psoas abscess secondary to spinal infection.

Study Design: A case of primary Ewing sarcoma of the lumbar spine is presented.

Objective: To present and review a rare case of primary Ewing sarcoma of the lumbar spine that required differentiation from spinal infection.

Summary Of Background Data: Primary Ewing sarcoma originating from the spinal column is very rare.

The membrane proteinase 3 expression on neutrophils was downregulated after treatment with infliximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Proteinase 3 (PR3) expression on neutrophils was examined in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients before and after antitumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha therapy. Membrane PR3 expression from patients with either an infection or RA significantly increased. Membrane PR3 expression on neutrophils from RA patients treated with infliximab (anti-TNF-alpha antibody) therapy was less than in those without such treatment in a resting state, but the expression later increased after stimulation in vitro.

Low-dose methotrexate inhibits lung metastasis and lengthens survival in rat osteosarcoma.

Lung metastasis is the most crucial event affecting the treatment of osteosarcoma and is dependent on tumor angiogenesis. To improve the prognosis for patients with osteosarcoma, prevention of lung metastasis is essential. Low-dose methotrexate is a useful drug for treating a variety of diseases.

Clinical trial of photodynamic therapy using acridine orange with/without low dose radiation as new limb salvage modality in musculoskeletal sarcomas.

Most patients with musculoskeletal sarcoma do not recover satisfactory limb function after limb salvage surgery. To achieve satisfactory improvement of limb function, we developed a unique surgical modality of photodynamic therapy using acridine orange (AO-PDT) and clinically applied it to patients with musculoskeletal sarcomas. Ten patients with primary musculoskeletal sarcomas were enrolled in the study.

Clinical outcome of a novel photodynamic therapy technique using acridine orange for synovial sarcomas.

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is one of common malignant soft-tissue tumors and is encountered most commonly in children and young adults. It frequently involves or invades major neurovascular structures and bones, and its local recurrence rate after simple resection has been reported to be as high as up to 80%. Because major nerves and vessels, as well as an adequate amount of bone, must be preserved to restore excellent limb function in cases of SS, a surgical technique entailing a low risk of local recurrence is needed.

Metastasis of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor to free vascularized myocutaneous flap.

The vascularized free myocutaneous flap graft, a recent advance in microsurgery, is a very useful reconstruction technique for covering massive soft tissue defects or muscular dysfunction caused by wide resection for malignant soft tissue tumors. We have used this technique to treat many patients after resection for malignant soft tissue tumors. Recently we encountered a case in which a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) metastasized to a vascularized free myocutaneous flap used for limb reconstruction surgery after wide resection of a primary lesion.

Thrombin inhibitor, argatroban, prevents tumor cell migration and bone metastasis.

It is well known that malignant cells show procoagulant activity, which is associated with their metastatic potential. Thrombin, the key enzyme of the blood coagulation system, is generated around tumor cells, promoting the migration and metastasis of tumor cells. In this study, we evaluated the effect of argatroban, a specific thrombin inhibitor, on the migration and metastasis of B16BL6 melanoma cells.

Case report: case of clear cell sarcoma surviving with the primary lesion for 20 years after resection of a metastatic lymph node.

In this paper we report on an extremely rare case of clear cell sarcoma, which is a rare malignant soft tissue tumor, biologically similar to malignant melanoma. The patient has survived for 25 years after he noticed a small tumor mass at the wrist and for 20 years after a small sentinel lymph node metastasis in the axilla was removed by surgical resection. The patient visited us because the tumor in his wrist had increased rapidly in size during the previous year.

Surrounding muscle edema detected by MRI is valuable for diagnosis of intramuscular myxoma.

We recently experienced 4 cases of intramuscular myxoma and analyzed MRI findings, comparing them with histological ones. Results showed that all tumors were depicted with a homogeneous low signal intensity on T1-weighted images and a markedly high signal intensity on T2-weighted images, findings which are similar to those of cystic lesions like intramuscular ganglions. However, tumors were diffusely and finely enhanced on T1-weighted images with intravenous gadolinium administration.

Effect of retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene expression on chemosensitivity of human osteosarcoma cell lines.

We examined the effects of inactivation of the RB gene on chemosensitivity of human osteosarcoma cell lines, using the MTT assay and calculating the inhibition index. Although the human osteosarcoma cell lines HOS and MG63 have a wild-type RB gene, SaOS-2 and OSrb (established from retinoblastoma patient) have no active RB gene. We used these 4 cell lines in growth inhibition assays for doxorubicin, cisplatin and methotrexate, and assessed the chemosensitivity.

Case report: recurrence of soft tissue MFH in bone due to minute intravenous tumor emboli detected by MRI.

We recently encountered a case with local recurrence of malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) in the bone after wide resection, caused by minute intravenous tumor emboli which were retrospectively detected in MR imaging. The patient was a 69-year-old woman who initially noticed a mass in her left thigh. The tumor was diagnosed to be MFH, therefore a wide resection was performed; although the tumor was closely attached to the periosteum, it was not difficult to dissect the tumor subperiosteally from the cortex of the femur.

Case report: chondromyxoid fibroma arising at the clavicular diaphysis.

This report presents an extremely rare case of chondromyxoid fibroma arising at the clavicle. To the best of our knowledge, this may be the first case report demonstrating in detail the clinicopathological findings of chondromyxoid fibroma at the clavicle. The patient was a 34-year-old housewife.

Telomerase activity and human telomerase reverse transcriptase mRNA expression are correlated with clinical aggressiveness in soft tissue tumors.

Background: Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that extends telomere specific repeats on the ends of chromosomes. Telomerase activity has been detected frequently in various types of human tumors and has been associated with cell immortality and oncogenesis. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), a telomerase catalytic subunit, reportedly regulates telomerase activity.

Suppression of tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis in murine osteosarcoma using gene therapy.

We evaluated the effect of gene therapy in the murine osteosarcoma cell line, LM8, which preferentially metastasizes to the lungs. LM8 cells were transduced with the gene for a herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) or Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase (lacZ). We investigated the cytotoxicity of LM8 cells bearing an HSV-tk gene after treatment with ganciclovir (GCV).