Faculty Profiles - OHARA Toshiaki

Papers - OHARA Toshiaki

Division display 41 - 60 of about 104 ／ All the affair displays >>

Fibroblast activation protein targeted near infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR PIT) overcomes therapeutic resistance in human esophageal cancer. Reviewed International journal

Ryoichi Katsube, Kazuhiro Noma, Toshiaki Ohara, Noriyuki Nishiwaki, Teruki Kobayashi, Satoshi Komoto, Hiroaki Sato, Hajime Kashima, Takuya Kato, Satoru Kikuchi, Hiroshi Tazawa, Shunsuke Kagawa, Yasuhiro Shirakawa, Hisataka Kobayashi, Toshiyoshi Fujiwara

Scientific reports 11 ( 1 ) 1693 - 1693 2021.1

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have an important role in the tumor microenvironment. CAFs have the multifunctionality which strongly support cancer progression and the acquisition of therapeutic resistance by cancer cells. Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a novel cancer treatment that uses a highly selective monoclonal antibody (mAb)-photosensitizer conjugate. We developed fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-targeted NIR-PIT, in which IR700 was conjugated to a FAP-specific antibody to target CAFs (CAFs-targeted NIR-PIT: CAFs-PIT). Thus, we hypothesized that the control of CAFs could overcome the resistance to conventional chemotherapy in esophageal cancer (EC). In this study, we evaluated whether EC cell acquisition of stronger malignant characteristics and refractoriness to chemoradiotherapy are mediated by CAFs. Next, we assessed whether the resistance could be rescued by eliminating CAF stimulation by CAFs-PIT in vitro and in vivo. Cancer cells acquired chemoradiotherapy resistance via CAF stimulation in vitro and 5-fluorouracil (FU) resistance in CAF-coinoculated tumor models in vivo. CAF stimulation promoted the migration/invasion of cancer cells and a stem-like phenotype in vitro, which were rescued by elimination of CAF stimulation. CAFs-PIT had a highly selective effect on CAFs in vitro. Finally, CAF elimination by CAFs-PIT in vivo demonstrated that the combination of 5-FU and NIR-PIT succeeded in producing 70.9% tumor reduction, while 5-FU alone achieved only 13.3% reduction, suggesting the recovery of 5-FU sensitivity in CAF-rich tumors. In conclusion, CAFs-PIT could overcome therapeutic resistance via CAF elimination. The combined use of novel targeted CAFs-PIT with conventional anticancer treatments can be expected to provide a more effective and sensible treatment strategy.

DOI： 10.1038/s41598-021-81465-4

Artificial intelligence supported anemia control system (AISACS) to prevent anemia in maintenance hemodialysis patients. Reviewed International journal

Toshiaki Ohara, Hiroshi Ikeda, Yoshiki Sugitani, Hiroshi Suito, Viet Quang Huy Huynh, Masaru Kinomura, Soichiro Haraguchi, Kazufumi Sakurama

International journal of medical sciences 18 ( 8 ) 1831 - 1839 2021

Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Anemia, for which erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and iron supplements (ISs) are used as preventive measures, presents important difficulties for hemodialysis patients. Nevertheless, the number of physicians able to manage such medications appropriately is not keeping pace with the rapid increase of hemodialysis patients. Moreover, the high cost of ESAs imposes heavy burdens on medical insurance systems. An artificial-intelligence-supported anemia control system (AISACS) trained using administration direction data from experienced physicians has been developed by the authors. For the system, appropriate data selection and rectification techniques play important roles. Decision making related to ESAs poses a multi-class classification problem for which a two-step classification technique is introduced. Several validations have demonstrated that AISACS exhibits high performance with correct classification rates of 72%-87% and clinically appropriate classification rates of 92%-98%.

DOI： 10.7150/ijms.53298

New Vascular-Access Intervention Assistance Plate Provides Good Operability and Safety by Preventing Accidental Falls: First Experience of 1,872 Cases. Reviewed International journal

Toshiaki Ohara, Kazufumi Sakurama, Satoshi Hiramatsu

Acta medica Okayama 74 ( 6 ) 505 - 511 2020.12

Authorship：Lead author Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Vascular-access interventions are necessary for the continuation of hemodialysis, and they are performed under X-ray guidance. During interventions, patients' accidental falls from the bed are a serious problem, and spe-cialized fixation systems for hemodialysis patients to prevent their falls from the bed have been lacking. We developed a new fixation plate made of polypropylene homopolymer and tested its ability to prevent such falls retrospectively. This plate, which we named the 'vascular-access intervention assistance plate,' offers functional features such as the concurrent fixation of the body and either arm and an arm space with serrations for fixing a forearm strap. We performed computer simulations to examine the strength of the plate, and we evaluated the efficacy of fall prevention by reviewing patients' medical records. The results demonstrated that the functional design of the plate provides good operability via accurate concurrent fixations of the body and arm. The com-puter simulation analysis results indicated the plate's sufficient strength. The medical records analysis revealed three accidental falls before the plate's introduction (401 patients, 1,437 interventions), and none after plate introduction (683 patients, 1,872 interventions). Accidental falls were significantly prevented by use of the plate (p < 0.05). The dementia rate and type of procedure were not significantly different between the patients who fell and those who did not. This vascular-access intervention assisted plate provides good operability and safety by preventing accidental falls among hemodialysis patients.

DOI： 10.18926/AMO/60880

Decreased miR-200b-3p in cancer cells leads to angiogenesis in HCC by enhancing endothelial ERG expression. Reviewed International journal

Aye Moh-Moh-Aung, Masayoshi Fujisawa, Sachio Ito, Hiroshi Katayama, Toshiaki Ohara, Yoko Ota, Teizo Yoshimura, Akihiro Matsukawa

Scientific reports 10 ( 1 ) 10418 - 10418 2020.6

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Transcription factor ERG (erythroblast transformation-specific (ETS)-related gene) is essential in endothelial differentiation and angiogenesis, in which microRNA (miR)-200b-3p targeting site is expected by miRNA target prediction database. miR-200b is known decreased in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, the functional relation between ERG and miR-200b-3p, originating from pre-miR-200b, in HCC angiogenesis remains unclear. We investigated whether hepatocyte-derived miR-200b-3p governs angiogenesis in HCC by targeting endothelial ERG. Levels of miR-200b-3p in HCC tissues were significantly lower than those in adjacent non-HCC tissues. Poorly differentiated HCC cell line expressed lower level of miR-200b-3p compared to well-differentiated HCC cell lines. The numbers of ERG-positive endothelial cells were higher in HCC tissues than in adjacent non-HCC tissues. There was a negative correlation between the number of ERG-positive cells and miR-200b-3p expression in HCC tissues. Culture supernatants of HCC cell lines with miR-200b-3p-overexpression reduced cell migration, proliferation and tube forming capacity in endothelial cells relative to the control, while those with miR-200b-3p-inhibition augmented the responses. Exosomes isolated from HCC culture supernatants with miR-200b-3p overexpression suppressed endothelial ERG expression. These results suggest that exosomal miR-200b-3p from hepatocytes suppresses endothelial ERG expression, and decreased miR-200b-3p in cancer cells promotes angiogenesis in HCC tissues by enhancing endothelial ERG expression.

DOI： 10.1038/s41598-020-67425-4

A Promising New Anti-Cancer Strategy: Iron Chelators Targeting CSCs. Reviewed International journal

Yuehua Chen, Toshiaki Ohara, Boyi Xing, Jiping Qi, Kazuhiro Noma, Akihiro Matsukawa

Acta medica Okayama 74 ( 1 ) 1 - 6 2020.2

Authorship：Corresponding author Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Iron is a trace but vital element in the human body and is necessary for a multitude of crucial processes in life. However, iron overload is known to induce carcinogenesis via oxidative stress. Cancer cells require large amounts of iron for their rapid division and cell growth. Iron was recently found to play a role in cancer stem cells (CSCs); it maintains stemness during development. Iron also plays an important role in stemness by moderating reactive oxygen species. Thus, iron metabolism in CSCs is a promising therapeutic target. In this review, we summarize the roles of iron in cancer cells and CSCs. We also summarize anti-cancer therapeutic studies with iron chelators and describe our expectation of a new therapeutic strategy for CSCs on the basis of our findings.

DOI： 10.18926/AMO/57946

Prolonged warm ischemia exacerbated acute rejection after lung transplantation from donation after cardiac death in a mouse. Reviewed International journal

Yutaka Hirano, Seiichiro Sugimoto, Sumiharu Yamamoto, Masanori Okada, Shinji Otani, Toshiaki Ohara, Masaomi Yamane, Akihiro Matsukawa, Takahiro Oto, Shinichi Toyooka

General thoracic and cardiovascular surgery 68 ( 1 ) 57 - 62 2020.1

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

OBJECTIVE: In lung transplantation (LTx) from donation after cardiac death (DCD), the donor lungs are inevitably exposed to warm ischemic time (WIT) between the cardiac arrest and the initiation of cold preservation. We conducted this study to examine the effect of prolonged WIT on lung allograft rejection in a murine model of LTx from DCD. METHODS: Allogeneic BALB/c → B6 LTx from DCD was performed with a WIT of 15 min (WIT15 group, n = 5) or 60 min (WIT60 group, n = 5). Recipients were immunosuppressed by perioperative costimulatory blockade. The lung allografts were analyzed by histology and flow cytometry on day 7 after the LTx. RESULTS: Histologically, the rejection grade in the WIT60 group was significantly higher than that in the WIT15 group (3.4 ± 0.4 vs. 2.2 ± 0.2, P = 0.0278). Moreover, the intragraft CD8+ to CD4+ T cell ratio in the WIT60 group was significantly higher than that in the WIT15 group (2.3 ± 0.12 vs. 1.2 ± 0.11, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged WIT could exacerbate the severity of lung allograft rejection after LTx from DCD. Minimization of the WIT could improve the outcomes after LTx from DCD.

DOI： 10.1007/s11748-019-01181-9

Negative impact of recipient SPRED2 deficiency on transplanted lung in a mouse model. Reviewed International journal

Kohei Hashimoto, Masaomi Yamane, Seiichiro Sugimoto, Yutaka Hirano, Takeshi Kurosaki, Shinji Otani, Kentaroh Miyoshi, Toshiaki Ohara, Mikio Okazaki, Teizo Yoshimura, Takahiro Oto, Akihiro Matsukawa, Shinichi Toyooka

Transplant immunology 57 101242 - 101242 2019.12

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) after lung transplantation mainly contributes to the development of primary graft dysfunction. The Sprouty-related EVH1-domain-containing (SPRED) protein family inhibits the mitogen activated protein kinase/extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway. Our study was aimed at examining the role of SPRED2 in IRI in mice that received orthotopic lung transplantation. Syngeneic mouse lung transplantation was performed in wild-type C57BL/6 J (WT) mice and Spred2 knockout (Spred2-/-) mice on the C57BL/6 J background from the WT donor. Four hours after reperfusion, blood gas analysis was performed, and lung grafts were sacrificed and analyzed. By using arterial oxygen tension measurements and histological evaluation using Lung Injury Score, we revealed more severe IRI in the grafts transplanted to Spred2-/- recipients, which manifested as exacerbated airway epithelial cell damage, interstitial edema with hemorrhage and neutrophil infiltration. Intragraft ERK1/2 activation and expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in Spred2-/- recipients were higher than those in WT recipients. SPRED2 plays an important role in protecting the lungs from IRI in lung transplantation recipients. We suggest that focused treatments suppressing the activity of the MAPK/ERK pathway in transplantation recipients could be the potential therapeutic option for the prevention of lung IRI.

DOI： 10.1016/j.trim.2019.101242

Visualization of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in an inflammatory microenvironment-colorectal cancer network. Reviewed International journal

Takeshi Ieda, Hiroshi Tazawa, Hiroki Okabayashi, Shuya Yano, Kunitoshi Shigeyasu, Shinji Kuroda, Toshiaki Ohara, Kazuhiro Noma, Hiroyuki Kishimoto, Masahiko Nishizaki, Shunsuke Kagawa, Yasuhiro Shirakawa, Takashi Saitou, Takeshi Imamura, Toshiyoshi Fujiwara

Scientific reports 9 ( 1 ) 16378 - 16378 2019.11

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a biological process by which epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal characteristics. In malignant tumors, EMT is crucial for acquisition of a mesenchymal phenotype with invasive and metastatic properties, leading to tumor progression. An inflammatory microenvironment is thought to be responsible for the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC); however, the precise role of inflammatory microenvironments in EMT-related CRC progression remains unclear. Here, we show the spatiotemporal visualization of CRC cells undergoing EMT using a fluorescence-guided EMT imaging system in which the mesenchymal vimentin promoter drives red fluorescent protein (RFP) expression. An inflammatory microenvironment including TNF-α, IL-1β, and cytokine-secreting inflammatory macrophages induced RFP expression in association with the EMT phenotype in CRC cells. In vivo experiments further demonstrated the distribution of RFP-positive CRC cells in rectal and metastatic tumors. Our data suggest that the EMT imaging system described here is a powerful tool for monitoring EMT in inflammatory microenvironment-CRC networks.

DOI： 10.1038/s41598-019-52816-z

The relationship between the PD-L1 expression of surgically resected and fine-needle aspiration specimens for patients with pancreatic cancer. Reviewed International journal

Kazuyuki Matsumoto, Toshiaki Ohara, Masayoshi Fujisawa, Akinobu Takaki, Masahiro Takahara, Noriyuki Tanaka, Hironari Kato, Shigeru Horiguchi, Ryuichi Yoshida, Yuzo Umeda, Soichiro Fushimi, Takahito Yagi, Akihiro Matsukawa, Hiroyuki Okada

Journal of gastroenterology 54 ( 11 ) 1019 - 1028 2019.11

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

BACKGROUND: Recently, therapeutic antibodies against programmed death-1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) have shown promising clinical results for several solid tumors, including pancreatic cancer. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between the PD-L1 expression of surgical resected and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) specimens for patients with pancreatic cancer. METHODS: Of 121 patients who underwent endoscopic ultrasound-guided (EUS)-FNA before surgery for pancreatic cancer in an academic center, the 94 (78%) with adequate FNA specimens for a histological evaluation were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients had undergone upfront surgery without any chemotherapy or radiotherapy. We performed immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining to investigate the PD-L1 expression in both resected and FNA specimens. The positive-stained cells were counted, and their percentage was used for the investigation. RESULTS: Of the 94 patients, 16 (17%) and 11 (10%) were defined as positive on resected cancer specimens using cutoff points of 5% and 10% positively stained cancer cell counts, respectively. The concordance rates for the positive frequency of PD-L1 expression between resected and FNA specimens were 44% (7/16) and 55% (6/11) when the positivity was set to ≥ 5% and ≥ 10%, respectively. The concordance rates for the negative frequency of PD-L1 expression between two specimens were 97% (76/78) and 99% (82/83) when the positivity was set to ≥ 5% and ≥ 10%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately, half of the patients with PD-L1 expression positive and almost all the patients with PD-L1 expression negative could be diagnosed on FNA specimens.

DOI： 10.1007/s00535-019-01586-6

Cancer stem cell induction from mouse embryonic stem cells. Reviewed International journal

Akimasa Seno, Chikae Murakami, Bishoy El-Aarag, Yoshiaki Iwasaki, Toshiaki Ohara, Masaharu Seno

Oncology letters 18 ( 3 ) 2756 - 2762 2019.9

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Although cancers are often removed by surgery and treated by chemotherapy and/or radiation therapies, they often reoccur following treatment due to the presence of resistant residual cells such as cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs are characterized by their self-renewal, pluripotency, and tumorigenicity properties, and are promising therapeutic targets for the complete therapy of cancers; however, the number of CSCs in cancer tissue is typically too small to investigate fully. We have previously reported that CSCs could be established from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) using a conditioned medium during cancer cell culture. In the present study, mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) were observed to be converted to CSCs (mES-CSCs). This demonstrated that CSC induction does not exclusively occur following gene editing in somatic cells, and that conditioned medium from cancer cells may contain factors that can induce CSCs. Therefore, not only iPSCs but also mESCs, were demonstrated to be able to produce CSCs as one of the potentials of pluripotency of stem cells, suggesting that the conversion to CSCs is not specific to iPSCs. The resultant mES-CSCs would be also useful to generate tissue specific cancers and these naturally occurring cancers can contribute to drug screenings, but also undergo further investigation in order to reveal cancer mechanisms.

DOI： 10.3892/ol.2019.10614

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) promote the lymph node metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Reviewed International journal

Hajime Kashima, Kazuhiro Noma, Toshiaki Ohara, Takuya Kato, Yuki Katsura, Satoshi Komoto, Hiroaki Sato, Ryoichi Katsube, Takayuki Ninomiya, Hiroshi Tazawa, Yasuhiro Shirakawa, Toshiyoshi Fujiwara

International journal of cancer 144 ( 4 ) 828 - 840 2019.2

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Lymph node metastasis is a pathognomonic feature of spreading tumors, and overcoming metastasis is a challenge in attaining more favorable clinical outcomes. Esophageal cancer is an aggressive tumor for which lymph node metastasis is a strong poor prognostic factor, and the tumor microenvironment (TME), and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in particular, has been implicated in esophageal cancer progression. CAFs play a central role in the TME and have been reported to provide suitable conditions for the progression of esophageal cancer, similar to their role in other malignancies. However, little is known concerning the relevance of CAFs to the lymph node metastasis of esophageal cancer. Here, we used clinical samples of esophageal cancer to reveal that CAFs promote lymph node metastasis and subsequently verified the intercellular relationships in vitro and in vivo using an orthotopic metastatic mouse model. In the analysis of clinical samples, FAP+ CAFs were strongly associated with lymph node metastasis rather than with other prognostic factors. Furthermore, CAFs affected the ability of esophageal cancer cells to acquire metastatic phenotypes in vitro; this finding was confirmed by data from an in vivo orthotopic metastatic mouse model showing that the number of lymph node metastases increased upon injection of cocultured cancer cells and CAFs. In summary, we verified in vitro and in vivo that the accumulation of CAFs enhances the lymph node metastasis of ESCC. Our data suggest that CAF targeted therapy can reduce lymph node metastasis and improve the prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer in the future.

DOI： 10.1002/ijc.31953

A Novel Combination Cancer Therapy with Iron Chelator Targeting Cancer Stem Cells via Suppressing Stemness. Reviewed International journal

Yuki Katsura, Toshiaki Ohara, Kazuhiro Noma, Takayuki Ninomiya, Hajime Kashima, Takuya Kato, Hiroaki Sato, Satoshi Komoto, Toru Narusaka, Yasuko Tomono, Boyi Xing, Yuehua Chen, Hiroshi Tazawa, Shunsuke Kagawa, Yasuhiro Shirakawa, Tomonari Kasai, Masaharu Seno, Akihiro Matsukawa, Toshiyoshi Fujiwara

Cancers 11 ( 2 ) 177 2019.2

Authorship：Corresponding author Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Excess iron causes cancer and is thought to be related to carcinogenesis and cancer progression including stemness, but the details remain unclear. Here, we hypothesized that stemness in cancer is related to iron metabolism and that regulating iron metabolism in cancer stem cells (CSCs) may be a novel therapy. In this study, we used murine induced pluripotent stem cells that expressed specific stem cell genes such as Nanog, Oct3/4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc, and two human cancer cell lines with similar stem cell gene expression. Deferasirox, an orally available iron chelator, suppressed expression of stemness markers and spherogenesis of cells with high stemness status in vitro. Combination therapy had a marked antitumor effect compared with deferasirox or cisplatin alone. Iron metabolism appears important for maintenance of stemness in CSCs. An iron chelator combined with chemotherapy may be a novel approach via suppressing stemness for CSC targeted therapy.

DOI： 10.3390/cancers11020177

Photoimmunotherapy for cancer-associated fibroblasts targeting fibroblast activation protein in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Reviewed International journal

Shinichiro Watanabe, Kazuhiro Noma, Toshiaki Ohara, Hajime Kashima, Hiroaki Sato, Takuya Kato, Shinichi Urano, Ryoichi Katsube, Yuuri Hashimoto, Hiroshi Tazawa, Shunsuke Kagawa, Yasuhiro Shirakawa, Hisataka Kobayashi, Toshiyoshi Fujiwara

Cancer biology & therapy 20 ( 9 ) 1234 - 1248 2019

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are strongly implicated in tumor progression, including in the processes of tumorigenesis, invasion, and metastasis. The targeting of CAFs using various therapeutic approaches is a novel treatment strategy; however, the efficacy of such therapies remains limited. Recently, near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT), which is a novel targeted therapy employing a cell-specific mAb conjugated to a photosensitizer, has been introduced as a new type of phototherapy. In this study, we have developed a novel NIR-PIT technique to target CAFs, by focusing on fibroblast activation protein (FAP), and we evaluate the treatment efficacy in vitro and in vivo. Esophageal carcinoma cells exhibited enhanced activation of fibroblasts, with FAP over-expressed in the cytoplasm and on the cell surface. FAP-IR700-mediated PIT showed induced rapid cell death specifically for those cells in vitro and in vivo, without adverse effects. This novel therapy for CAFs, designed as local control phototherapy, was safe and showed a promising inhibitory effect on FAP+ CAFs. PIT targeting CAFs via the specific marker FAP may be a therapeutic option for CAFs in the tumor microenvironment in the future.

DOI： 10.1080/15384047.2019.1617566

Spred2 Regulates High Fat Diet-Induced Adipose Tissue Inflammation, and Metabolic Abnormalities in Mice. Reviewed International journal

Takahiro Ohkura, Teizo Yoshimura, Masayoshi Fujisawa, Toshiaki Ohara, Rie Marutani, Kaya Usami, Akihiro Matsukawa

Frontiers in immunology 10 17 - 17 2019

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Chronic low-grade inflammation in visceral adipose tissues triggers the development of obesity-related insulin resistance, leading to the metabolic syndrome, a serious health condition with higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke. In the present study, we investigated whether Sprouty-related EVH1-domain-containing protein 2 (Spred2), a negative regulator of the Ras/Raf/ERK/MAPK pathway, plays a role in the development of high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity, adipose tissue inflammation, metabolic abnormalities, and insulin resistance. Spred2 knockout (KO) mice, fed with HFD, exhibited an augmented body weight gain, which was associated with enhanced adipocyte hypertrophy in mesenteric white adipose tissue (mWAT) and deteriorated dyslipidemia, compared with wild-type (WT) controls. The number of infiltrating macrophages with a M1 phenotype, and the crown-like structures, composed of macrophages surrounding dead or dying adipocytes, were more abundant in Spred2 KO-mWAT compared to in WT-mWAT. Exacerbated adipose tissue inflammation in Spred2 KO mice led to aggravated insulin resistance and fatty liver disease. To analyze the mechanism(s) that caused adipose tissue inflammation, cytokine response in mWAT was investigated. Stromal vascular fraction that contained macrophages from Spred2 KO-mWAT showed elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2) compared with those from WT-mWAT. Upon stimulation with palmitate acid (PA), bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) derived from Spred2 KO mice secreted higher levels of TNFα and MCP-1 than those from WT mice with enhanced ERK activation. U0126, a MEK inhibitor, reduced the PA-induced cytokine response. Taken together, these results suggested that Spred2, in macrophages, negatively regulates high fat diet-induced obesity, adipose tissue inflammation, metabolic abnormalities, and insulin resistance by inhibiting the ERK/MAPK pathway. Thus, Spred2 represents a potential therapeutic tool for the prevention of insulin resistance and resultant metabolic syndrome.

DOI： 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00017

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Affect Intratumoral CD8+ and FoxP3+ T Cells Via IL6 in the Tumor Microenvironment. Reviewed International journal

Takuya Kato, Kazuhiro Noma, Toshiaki Ohara, Hajime Kashima, Yuki Katsura, Hiroaki Sato, Satoshi Komoto, Ryoichi Katsube, Takayuki Ninomiya, Hiroshi Tazawa, Yasuhiro Shirakawa, Toshiyoshi Fujiwara

Clinical cancer research 24 ( 19 ) 4820 - 4833 2018.10

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Purpose: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) play a central role in tumor progression. We investigated whether CAFs can regulate tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and their role in tumor immunosuppression.Experimental Design: A total of 140 cases of esophageal cancer were analyzed for CAFs and CD8+ or forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3+) TILs by IHC. We analyzed cytokines using murine or human fibroblasts and cancer cells. Murine-derived fibroblasts and cancer cells were also inoculated into BALB/c or BALB/c-nu/nu mice and the tumors treated with recombinant IL6 or anti-IL6 antibody.Results: CD8+ TILs and CAFs were negatively correlated in intratumoral tissues (P < 0.001), whereas FoxP3+ TILs were positively correlated (P < 0.001) in esophageal cancers. Cocultured Colon26 cancer cells and fibroblasts resulted in accelerated tumor growth in BALB/c mice, along with decreased CD8+ and increased FoxP3+ TILs, compared with cancer cells alone. In vitro, IL6 was highly secreted in both murine and human cancer cell/fibroblast cocultures. IL6 significantly increased Colon26 tumor growth in immune-competent BALB/c (P < 0.001) with fewer CD8+ TILs than untreated tumors (P < 0.001), whereas no difference in BALB/c-nu/nu mice. In contrast, FoxP3+ TILs increased in IL6-treated tumors (P < 0.001). IL6 antibody blockade of tumors cocultured with fibroblasts resulted not only in regression of tumor growth but also in the accumulation of CD8+ TILs in intratumoral tissues.Conclusions: CAFs regulate immunosuppressive TIL populations in the TME via IL6. IL6 blockade, or targeting CAFs, may improve preexisting tumor immunity and enhance the efficacy of conventional immunotherapies. Clin Cancer Res; 24(19); 4820-33. ©2018 AACR.

DOI： 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-18-0205

New insertion support device assisted the accurate placement of tunneled cuffed catheter: First experience of 10 cases. Reviewed International journal

Toshiaki Ohara, Kazufumi Sakurama, Satoshi Hiramatsu, Toshimasa Karai, Toshiaki Sato, Yuta Nishina

The journal of vascular access 19 ( 5 ) 501 - 505 2018.9

Authorship：Lead author Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

INTRODUCTION: The tunneled cuffed catheter is used in hemodialysis patients for whom an arteriovenous fistula or arteriovenous graft is not suitable or for bridging usage of them. Accurate placement of a tunneled cuffed catheter is necessary for safe hemodialysis, but placement is sometimes difficult because of individual body differences. We developed a new device to support accurate placement of the tunneled cuffed catheter. In this study, we report our first clinical experience of the device. METHODS: We made the device by expanded polytetrafluoroethylene with some special processes. The processes enable it to maintain plasticity and temporary shape in the autoclaved condition. The device is laid on the surface of the patient's body to mark the root of the catheter with a felt-tipped marker before catheterization. That enables us to know the accurate catheter root and tunneled cuffed catheter exit site on the body surface. Ten patients underwent tunneled cuffed catheter insertion according to the marking. CASE DESCRIPTION: The mean age was 71.3 ± 12.8 years. The tunneled cuffed catheter was safely placed according to the marking in all patients, and all catheter tips were placed in the right atrium. The mean verification tip location difference before and after catheterization was 0.70 ± 0.48 cm. This result indicated that the device could assist in inserting a catheter accurately within an error of 1.18 cm. The tunneled cuffed catheters were patent in all the cases, without replacement and complications until the end of bridging use or during the observation period. CONCLUSION: Our newly developed insertion support device enhances safety and prevents catheter waste during replacement.

DOI： 10.1177/1129729818771884

The Elucidation of Tumor Immunosuppression Affected by Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Reviewed

加藤卓也, 加藤卓也, 野間和広, 桂佑貴, 佐藤浩明, 河本慧, 二宮卓之, 大原利章, 田澤大, 香川俊輔, 白川靖博, 藤原俊義

癌と化学療法 45 ( 9 ) 1279 - 1281 2018.9

Language：Japanese Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Development of immunotherapy, especially checkpoint inhibitors, dramatically improved the prognosis of some malignancies. However, problems on the occurrence of severe adverse effects and limited responses to these checkpoint inhibitors remain. Recently, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes(TILs)are the predictive markers of immunotherapies based on clinical evidence. The proportion of cytotoxic T cells in the tumor has been reported to affect the antitumor effect. TILs in the tumor are thought to be controlled by the interaction between cancer and tumor microenvironment. As a cause of tumor immunosuppression, cancer-associated fibroblasts(CAFs)play the main role in the tumor microenvironment. We considered the strong involvement of tumor microenvironment, particularly the role of CAFs, and reported the interaction between CAFs and proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and resistance in the conventional therapy. The correlation between CAFs and tumor immunity and the immunosuppression promoted by CAFs were also evaluated. Their effects will be reported in our future studies.

Other Link： https://search.jamas.or.jp/index.php?module=Default&action=Link&pub_year=2018&ichushi_jid=J00296&link_issn=&doc_id=20180920320008&doc_link_id=%2Fab8gtkrc%2F2018%2F004509%2F010%2F1279-1281%26dl%3D0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medicalonline.jp%2Fjamas.php%3FGoodsID%3D%2Fab8gtkrc%2F2018%2F004509%2F010%2F1279-1281%26dl%3D0&type=MedicalOnline&icon=https%3A%2F%2Fjk04.jamas.or.jp%2Ficon%2F00004_2.gif

A novel, nontoxic iron chelator, super-polyphenol, effectively induces apoptosis in human cancer cell lines. Reviewed International journal

Toshiaki Ohara, Yasuko Tomono, Xing Boyi, Sun Yingfu, Kazuhiro Omori, Akihiro Matsukawa

Oncotarget 9 ( 67 ) 32751 - 32760 2018.8

Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Iron chelation therapy is the main treatment for iron overload disease. Iron chelators were recently reported to be useful for cancer therapy; however, they cause side effects that make them difficult to use in some cancer patients. Thus, a novel oral iron chelator, super-polyphenol (SP), was developed for cancer therapy to decrease the side effects. SP is either water soluble or insoluble, and has different isoforms according to the number of side chains. Of these isoforms, water-soluble SP6 and SP10 appear to be the best candidates, as they have the strongest chelating abilities. In this study, we focused on the usefulness and safety of SP6 and SP10 as anti-cancer drugs, and examined their anti-cancer effects and toxicity. The results showed that SP6 and SP10 inhibited cancer cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis in HCT116, HSC-2, A549, and MCF-7 cancer cells. SP10 also inhibited tumor growth in an HCT116 xenograft model. SP6 and SP10 had no acute toxicities. An intravenous injection test revealed that SP6 and SP10 had better safety profiles than the iron chelator deferoxamine. In conclusion, SP is a novel oral iron chelator with anti-cancer effects and few adverse side effects. This is the first report of SP in the literature.

DOI： 10.18632/oncotarget.25973

Spred2 Deficiency Exacerbates D-Galactosamine/Lipopolysaccharide -induced Acute Liver Injury in Mice via Increased Production of TNFα. Reviewed International journal

Xu Yang, Masayoshi Fujisawa, Teizo Yoshimura, Toshiaki Ohara, Miwa Sato, Megumi Mino, Thar Htet San, Tong Gao, Steven L Kunkel, Akihiro Matsukawa

Scientific reports 8 ( 1 ) 188 - 188 2018.1

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Acute liver injury (ALI) is characterized by hepatocyte damage and inflammation. In the present study, we examined whether the absence of Sprouty-related EVH1-domain-containing protein 2 (Spred2), a negative regulator of the Ras/Raf/ERK/MAPK pathway, influences ALI induced by D-galactosamine (D-GalN) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Compared to wild-type mice, Spred2-/- mice developed exacerbated liver injury represented by enhanced hepatocyte damage and inflammation. Enhanced ERK activation was observed in Spred2-/--livers, and the MEK/ERK inhibitor U0126 ameliorated ALI. Hepatic tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin (IL)-1β levels were increased in Spred-2-/--livers, and the neutralization of TNFα dramatically ameliorated ALI, which was associated with decreased levels of endogenous TNFα and IL-1β. When mice were challenged with D-GalN and TNFα, much severer ALI was observed in Spred2-/- mice with significant increases in endogenous TNFα and IL-1β in the livers. Immunohistochemically, Kupffer cells were found to produce TNFα, and isolated Kupffer cells from Spred2-/- mice produced significantly higher levels of TNFα than those from wild-type mice after LPS stimulation, which was significantly decreased by U0126. These results suggest that Spred2 negatively regulates D-GalN/LPS-induced ALI under the control of TNFα in Kupffer cells. Spred2 may present a therapeutic target for the treatment of ALI.

DOI： 10.1038/s41598-017-18380-0

Iron depletion is a novel therapeutic strategy to target cancer stem cells. Reviewed International journal

Takayuki Ninomiya, Toshiaki Ohara, Kazuhiro Noma, Yuki Katsura, Ryoichi Katsube, Hajime Kashima, Takuya Kato, Yasuko Tomono, Hiroshi Tazawa, Shunsuke Kagawa, Yasuhiro Shirakawa, Fumiaki Kimura, Ling Chen, Tomonari Kasai, Masaharu Seno, Akihiro Matsukawa, Toshiyoshi Fujiwara

Oncotarget 8 ( 58 ) 98405 - 98416 2017.11

Authorship：Corresponding author Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Adequate iron levels are essential for human health. However, iron overload can act as catalyst for the formation of free radicals, which may cause cancer. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), which maintain the hallmark stem cell characteristics of self-renewal and differentiation capacity, have been proposed as a driving force of tumorigenesis and metastases. In the present study, we investigated the role of iron in the proliferation and stemness of CSCs, using the miPS-LLCcm cell model. Although the anti-cancer agents fluorouracil and cisplatin suppressed the proliferation of miPS-LLCcm cells, these drugs did not alter the expression of stemness markers, including Nanog, SOX2, c-Myc, Oct3/4 and Klf4. In contrast, iron depletion by the iron chelators deferasirox and deferoxamine suppressed the proliferation of miPS-LLCcm cells and the expression of stemness markers. In an allograft model, deferasirox inhibited the growth of miPS-LLCcm implants, which was associated with decreased expression of Nanog and Sox2. Altogether, iron appears to be crucial for the proliferation and maintenance of stemness of CSCs, and iron depletion may be a novel therapeutic strategy to target CSCs.

DOI： 10.18632/oncotarget.21846

　 PREV - NEXT 　

1
2
3
4
5
6