Serum EphA2 as a Promising Biomarker for the Early Detection and Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer.

Background: EphA2, a receptor-type tyrosine kinase, is overexpressed in several cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC), and can be detected as soluble EphA2 in serum. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between soluble EphA2 and CRC.

Methods: Serum samples were collected from 65 patients with CRC and 19 healthy individuals.

Abdominoperineal Resection for Unexpected Distal Intramural Spreading of Rectal Cancer.

Introduction: In rectal cancer, distal intramural spread may sometimes occur, but a maximum extent of distal spread of > 6 cm is very rare.

Case Presentation: A 65-year-old Japanese male with an advanced rectal cancer tumor with para-aortic lymph node metastasis was admitted. We performed a low anterior resection with lymphadenectomy, but the intraoperative frozen-section analysis of margins revealed malignant cell positivity; we, therefore, performed an abdominoperineal resection.

Mixed Neuroendocrine Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Colon: Case Report and Literature Review.

Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) of the colon is very rare, and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of colon cancer is rare. We recently treated a patient with both NEC and SCC that initially presented as multiple unresectable liver and lung metastases. A 68-year-old Japanese man was referred to our hospital because of diarrhea with descending colon cancer obstruction.

Chiral Silver Complex-Catalyzed Diastereoselective and Enantioselective Michael Addition of 1-Pyrroline-5-carboxylates to α-Enones.

A AgOAc/ThioClickFerrophos complex-catalyzed the highly diastereo- and enantioselective reaction between 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylates (1) and acyclic α-enones (2) in MeOH, in the presence of DBU, to give the single isomer Michael adducts (3) in high yields (up to 99%) with excellent enantioselectivies (up to 99% ee). Subsequent reduction of the Michael adducts with sodium cyanoborohydride successfully produced the fused pyrrolizidine ester as an almost pure single stereoisomer.

Ligand-Controlled Stereodivergent, Enantioselective Conjugate Addition of 2-Oxazoline- and 2-Thiazoline-4-carboxylate to Nitroalkene Catalyzed by Chiral Copper Complexes.

The copper-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate addition of 2-oxazoline- and 2-thiazoline-4-carboxylate to a nitroalkene proceeded to give either the syn or anti adduct selectively in high enantiomeric excess when an appropriate chiral ligand was used. Subsequent reduction of the nitro group followed by hydrolysis of the oxazoline ring yielded an optically active γ-lactam of protected α-quaternary serine derivative.

Copper- and Silver-Catalyzed Diastereo- and Enantioselective Conjugate Addition Reaction of 1-Pyrroline Esters to Nitroalkenes: Diastereoselectivity Switch by Chiral Metal Complexes.

syn-Diastereoselective conjugate addition of 1-pyrroline esters to nitroalkenes in good yields with an excellent enantioselectivity by using CuOAc/Me-FcPHOX catalyst in the presence of pyridine. In contrast, AgOAc/tBu-ThioClickFerrophos catalyzed the anti diastereoselective conjugate addition with a high enantioselectivity without additional base. Thus, the preparation of chiral 1-pyrroline derivatives bearing diverse stereochemistry could be achieved.