Understanding Pb contamination in wild mammals and birds and examining the potential contamination related to ammunition in Japan.

This study investigates lead (Pb) contamination in wild animals in Japan. Pb is a known environmental toxin that can cause several issues in wildlife. Pb is still used in human society, and among Pb products, ammunition is reported to harm human and animal health.

Vastus medialis onset activation in patients who underwent medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction with and without tibial tubercular osteotomy.

Background: Medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFLR) and tibial tubercular osteotomy (TTO) are common surgical treatments for patellar dislocation. However, the impact of isolated MPFLR and MPFLR combined with TTO (MPFLR+TTO) on vastus medialis oblique (VMO) onset activation remains unclear. This study investigated the VMO onset activation relative to the vastus lateralis (VL) among patients undergoing isolated MPFLR, MPFLR+TTO, and healthy controls during maximum voluntary isometric knee extension.

REV7 subunit of mutagenic DNA polymerase ζ as a predictive biomarker for the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in melanoma.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy serves as a standard treatment for advanced or recurrent malignant melanoma. Tumour neoantigenicity is an important factor for the effectiveness of the ICI therapy. However, the absence of reliable biomarkers to predict ICI therapy efficacy remains an unresolved challenge.

[Anaplastic Carcinoma of the Pancreas of the Spindle Cell Type with Rapid Growth after Distal Pancreatectomy-A Case Report].

A 42-year-old male was referred to our hospital for epigastric and back pain. Following a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, abdominal CT revealed a low-density tumor measuring 15 mm in diameter in the pancreatic body. Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography showed narrowing of the main pancreatic duct, and cytology of pancreatic juice indicated class Ⅲ.

Tissue factor targeted near-infrared photoimmunotherapy: a versatile therapeutic approach for malignancies.

Tissue factor (TF) is a cell surface protein that plays a role in blood clotting but is also commonly expressed in many cancers. Recent research implicated TF in cancer proliferation, metastasis, angiogenesis, and immune escape. Therefore, TF can be considered a viable therapeutic target against cancer.

High levels of REV7 expression are associated with poor prognosis and chemoresistance in gastric adenocarcinoma.

REV7 is a multifunctional protein essential for promoting cellular tolerance to DNA damage. REV7 expression is associated with disease progression and prognosis in several human malignant tumors. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and biological significance of REV7 in gastric adenocarcinoma (GAD).

Elevated expression of REV7 correlates with poor prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma and its inactivation in carcinoma cells enhances chemosensitivity.

REV7 is a multifunctional protein involved in the DNA damage response, cell cycle regulation, gene expression, or primordial germ cell maintenance. REV7 expression in tumor cells is associated with clinical aggressive features and chemoresistance in several human malignancies, however, the clinicopathological significance of REV7 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has not been studied yet. In this study, we investigated the significance of REV7 expression in LUAD using clinical materials and cell lines.

Gastro-tracheal fistula following esophageal cancer surgery through the retrosternal route: a case report.

Background: Gastro-tracheal fistula is a rare but serious complication after esophageal surgery, often requiring long-term treatment and invasive procedures. Gastro-tracheal fistula usually occurs through the posterior mediastinal route and rarely through the retrosternal route. No previous reports have described gastro-tracheal fistula after retrosternal route reconstruction was cured by conservative treatment.

Subtotal esophagectomy and concurrent reconstruction with free jejunal flap for primary esophageal cancer after pancreatoduodenectomy.

Background: Pancreatoduodenectomy and subtotal esophagectomy are widely considered the most invasive and difficult surgical procedures in gastrointestinal surgery. Subtotal esophagectomy after pancreatoduodenectomy is expected to be extremely difficult due to complicated anatomical changes, and selecting an appropriate intestinal reconstruction method will also be a difficult task. Therefore, perhaps because the method is considered impossible, there have been few reports of subtotal esophagectomy after pancreatoduodenectomy.

Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy targeting PD-L1: Improved efficacy by preconditioning the tumor microenvironment.

Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a new type of cancer therapy that employs antibody-IRDye700DX conjugates (AbPCs) and near-infrared (NIR) light at a wavelength of 689 nm, the excitation wavelength of IR700. Administered intravenously, injected AbPCs bind specifically to cells expressing the target antigen, whereupon NIR light exposure causes rapid, selective killing. This process induces an anticancer T cell response, leading to sustained anticancer host immune response.

Near-infrared Photoimmunotherapy Targeting Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Patient-Derived Xenografts Using a Humanized Anti-Fibroblast Activation Protein Antibody.

Esophageal cancer remains a highly aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis, despite ongoing advancements in treatments such as immunotherapy. The tumor microenvironment, particularly cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), plays a crucial role in driving the aggressiveness of esophageal cancer. In a previous study utilizing human-derived xenograft models, we successfully developed a novel cancer treatment that targeted CAFs with near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT), as an adjuvant therapy.

Fibroblast activation protein-targeted near-infrared photoimmunotherapy depletes immunosuppressive cancer-associated fibroblasts and remodels local tumor immunity.

Background: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) play a critical role in tumor immunosuppression. However, targeted depletion of CAFs is difficult due to their diverse cells of origin and the resulting lack of specific surface markers. Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a novel cancer treatment that leads to rapid cell membrane damage.

Salvage reconstruction of the esophagus using the left colon with microscopic supercharge following failed ileocolic reconstruction: A case report.

Introduction: Ileocolic interposition is often used for the reconstruction of patients with esophageal cancer with a history of gastrectomy. However, graft failure due to conduit necrosis has been reported in 0-5 % of patients. Salvage reconstruction surgery for this situation is considered challenging, and only a few cases of successful salvage operations following failure of ileocolic interposition have been reported.

[Novel Therapy Targeting the Cancer Microenvironment Using Near-Infrared Photoimmunotherapy Leading to Tumor Immune Activation].

Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy(NIR-PIT)is a novel cancer treatment modality that employs antibody-IRDye700DX (IR700)conjugates. Recently, the clinical application of NIR-PIT has received approval in Japan for patients with inoperable head and neck cancer, specifically targeting the human epidermal growth factor receptor(hEGFR). Furthermore, NIR-PIT extends beyond the scope of tumor antigens and can be employed to eliminate specific host cells that contribute to the creation of immune-permissive environments supporting tumor growth.

Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy targeting Nectin-4 in a preclinical model of bladder cancer.

Enfortumab vedotin (EV), an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that targets Nectin-4, has shown promising results in the treatment of bladder cancer. However, multiple resistance mechanisms that are unique to ADCs limit the therapeutic potential of EV in clinical practice. Here, we developed and tested a Nectin-4-targeted near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) that utilizes the same target as EV but utilizes a distinct cytotoxic and immunotherapeutic pathway in preclinical models of bladder cancer.

Trends in long-term outcomes of patients with HCV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy: A comparison before and after introduction of direct-acting antivirus therapy.

Backgrounds: The success of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy provides a cure for patients chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV); however, outcomes after hepatectomy for HCV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) before and after DAA introduction remain poorly studied.

Methods: Patients who underwent R0/R1 hepatectomy for HCV-associated HCC were retrospectively analyzed. Two time periods were defined: Pre-DAA (2007-2011, December 2013 was defined as the end of follow-up) and Post-DAA groups (2014-2018, December 2020 was defined as the end of follow-up).

REV7 is involved in outcomes of platinum-based chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer by controlling the DNA damage response.

REV7 is a multifunctional protein implicated in various biological processes, including DNA damage response. REV7 expression in human cancer cells affects their sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents. In the present study, we investigated the significance of REV7 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy in the models of hepatocellular carcinomas using cetuximab-IR700.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has emerged as an important therapeutic target in many cancers, and overexpression of EGFR is frequently observed in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a new anticancer treatment that selectively damages the cell membrane of cancer cells after NIR light-induced photochemical reaction of IR700, which is bound to a targeting antibody on the cell membrane. NIR-PIT using cetuximab-IR700 has already been approved in Japan, is under review by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for advanced head and neck cancers, and its safety has been established.

Evaluation of the Effect of Pb Pollution on Avian Influenza Virus-Specific Antibody Production in Black-Headed Gulls ().

Lead (Pb), an environmental pollutant, has been widely reported to have contaminated mammals, including humans and birds. This study focuses on the effects of Pb pollution on avian influenza virus (AIV) antibody production. A total of 170 black-headed gulls () were captured in Tokyo Bay (TBP) from January 2019 to April 2020 and in Mikawa Bay (MBP) from November 2019 to April 2021.

Adenocarcinoma arising from widespread heterotopic gastric mucosa in the cervicothoracic esophagus: a case report.

Background: In Japan, about 6% of esophageal cancers are adenocarcinomas, although most of them arise from Barrett's epithelium. Adenocarcinoma arising from heterotopic gastric mucosa (HGM) is very rare. Due to its rarity, there is no unified view on its treatment strategy and prognosis.