Promising Approach for Optimizing Fluorescence Imaging in a Tumor Mouse Model: Precision in Cancer Research.

Background/aim: Cancer remains a major global health concern due to its high mortality rates. Advanced diagnostic imaging, such as in vivo near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging, enhances early detection by reducing autofluorescence and enabling deeper tissue penetration, addressing some limitations of conventional methods. Understanding the underlying causes of autofluorescence, even in mouse model fluorescence imaging, is crucial for accurate interpretation.

Development of Hsp90 inhibitor to regulate cytokine storms in excessive delayed- and acute inflammation.

Background: The surplus cytokines remaining after use in the early stages of the inflammatory response stimulate immune cells even after the response is over, causing a secondary inflammatory response and ultimately damaging the host, which is called a cytokine storm. Inhibiting heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), which has recently been shown to play an important role in regulating inflammation in various cell types, may help control excessive inflammatory responses and cytokine storms.

Methods: We discovered an anti-inflammatory compound by measuring the inhibitory effect of CD86 expression on spleen DCs (sDCs) using the chemical compounds library of Hsp90 inhibitors.

Visualization of Metastatic Lung Cancer with TiNIR.

The development of efficient biomarkers and probes for monitoring and treating cancer, specifically metastatic cancer, is a critical research area that can have a significant impact on both patient outcomes and drug discovery. In this context, TiNIR has been developed to detect tumor-initiating cells (TICs), with heme oxygenase 2 (HO2) as a promising therapeutic biomarker for tumor-initiating cells. In this study, TiNIR has demonstrated its effectiveness as an metastatic lung cancer tracker, highlighting its potential as a valuable tool in cancer research and therapy.

Intratumoral electroporation of IL-12 cDNA eradicates established melanomas by Trp2(180-188)-specific CD8+ CTLs in a perforin/granzyme-mediated and IFN-γ-dependent manner: application of Trp2(180-188) peptides.

Intratumoral electroporation (IT-EP) with IL-12 cDNA (IT-EP/IL12) can lead to the eradication of established B16 melanoma tumors in mice. Here, we explore the immunological mechanism of the antitumor effects generated by this therapy. The results show that IT-EP/IL12 applied only once resulted in eradication in 70% animals with large established B16 tumors.

Antitumor therapeutic and antimetastatic activity of electroporation-delivered human papillomavirus 16 E7 DNA vaccines: a possible mechanism for enhanced tumor control.

DNA vaccines are known to be lacking in immunogenicity in humans. Presently, electroporation (EP) is thought to overcome this limitation. Here, we investigate whether human papillomavirus 16 E7 DNA vaccines delivered by EP might elicit potent antitumor activity in animal cervical cancer models, with a focus on the underlying mechanism(s).