Publications by authors named "Horibe K"
Purpose: The JCCG ALL-B12 clinical trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of unvalidated treatment phases for pediatric ALL and develop a safety-focused treatment framework.
Patients And Methods: Patients age 1-19 years with newly diagnosed B-ALL were enrolled in this study. These patients were stratified into standard-risk (SR), intermediate-risk (IR), and high-risk (HR) groups.
Article Synopsis
- The ALL-R08 study in Japan focuses on children with first-relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) to evaluate the effectiveness of the BFM-S classification and measurable residual disease (MRD) as prognostic tools for patient survival.
- The study consists of two parts: an observational study (ALL-R08-I) and a clinical trial (ALL-R08-II) that differentiates treatment based on MRD levels after induction therapy.
- Results showed varying 3-year event-free survival rates across different BFM-S groups, indicating that children treated with either Japanese or BFM-type protocols have similar outcomes for managing first-relapsed ALL.
Background: Failure-free survival (FFS) rates of low-risk patients with rhabdomyosarcoma improved in Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study IV after the escalation of cyclophosphamide total dose to 26.4 g/m. However, this dose may increase the risk of adverse events, including infertility, in some patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany effective new agents for relapsed childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are now becoming available, and international standard chemotherapy should be developed to optimize use of these agents. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to establish a standard treatment, but few have been conducted for relapsed childhood ALL in Japan due to the small patient population. Participation in international RCTs is necessary to access sufficient patients for informative study results, but differences in approved drugs and healthcare systems between countries make this challenging.
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- - The study explores the molecular pathology of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), focusing on the discovery of important genetic markers for risk assessment and the need for new treatment approaches, especially for patients with relapsed or refractory AML.
- - Researchers conducted ATAC-seq analysis on 10 AML patients, finding increased accessibility of the DOCK1 gene, which subsequently led to further testing on 369 pediatric AML patients to evaluate DOCK1 gene expression levels.
- - Results showed that high DOCK1 expression (noted in 37% of patients) correlated with significantly poorer overall and event-free survival rates; experiments suggest that using a DOCK1 inhibitor may enhance the efficacy of cytarabine, a common AML treatment.
Article Synopsis
- Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (γδ T-ALL) is a rare and complex condition in children, prompting a study of 200 pediatric cases to identify its clinical and genetic characteristics.
- The research revealed that very young children (under 3 years) with γδ T-ALL face a significantly high risk and display specific genetic changes, particularly involving STAG2 inactivation and LMO2 activation.
- Importantly, their findings suggest that targeting DNA repair pathways linked to STAG2 inactivation with specific drugs could offer new treatment options and help classify patients based on their risk levels.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on improving treatment for Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), which, despite a generally good prognosis, has high recurrence rates and serious long-term effects like diabetes insipidus and neurodegenerative issues.
- Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of dexamethasone and intrathecal chemotherapy for multisystem disease, along with zoledronate for multifocal bone disease in previously untreated patients under 40.
- The trial is officially registered and approved by the Central Review Board in Japan, with written consent required from participants or their guardians.
Article Synopsis
- Asparaginase is a key medication for treating T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), but its effectiveness varies between T-ALL and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL), which raises questions about their classification as the same disease.
- A study analyzed 199 T-ALL and 133 T-LBL patients to see how stopping asparaginase affects their event-free survival (EFS), finding that stopping it significantly harms EFS in T-ALL patients but not in T-LBL patients.
- The researchers suggest that the differing effects may be due to how T-ALL and T-LBL respond to treatment, highlighting the need for better treatment strategies and more extensive studies to improve outcomes for
Transient abnormal myelopoiesis (TAM) is a common complication in newborns with Down syndrome (DS). It commonly progresses to myeloid leukemia (ML-DS) after spontaneous regression. In contrast to the favorable prognosis of primary ML-DS, patients with refractory/relapsed ML-DS have poor outcomes.
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- - The study explored how animated food, specifically a movable edible robot made from gelatin and sugar, affects human psychology and perceptions of eating.
- - Participants reacted differently to the robot when it was in motion compared to when it was stationary, influencing their overall impressions and the perceived texture during consumption.
- - The findings suggest potential applications for edible robots in areas like medicine and culinary experiences, highlighting the psychological impact of animation in food.
Background: In children with intermediate-risk relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) has markedly improved the outcome of patients with an unsatisfactory minimal residual disease (MRD) response. Total body irradiation (TBI), etoposide (ETP), and cyclophosphamide (CY) have been shown to be equivalent to or better than TBI + ETP for conditioning, so we hypothesized that even greater survival could be achieved due to recent advances in HSCT and supportive care.
Procedure: We prospectively analyzed the efficacy and safety of allo-HSCT with a unified conditioning regimen of TBI + ETP + CY in children with intermediate-risk relapsed ALL, based on MRD in the bone marrow after induction, from the Japanese Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group (JPLSG) ALL-R08-II nationwide cohort (UMIN000002025).
CD25 is an aberrant marker expressed on the leukemic stem cell (LSC) surface and an immunotherapy target in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the clinical prevalence and significance of CD25 expression in pediatric AML are unknown. High IL2RA/CD25 expression in pediatric AML showed a stem cell-like phenotype, and elevated CD25 expression was associated with lower overall survival (p < .
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- The "Otsuka" minor BCR-ABL messenger RNA assay kit was developed for precise assessment of minor BCR-ABL levels in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), an important factor for prognosis and treatment planning.
- Testing showed that the "Otsuka" kit performed reliably, with results aligning closely with established methods and demonstrating strong correlations with other diagnostic tests.
- The findings suggest that the "Otsuka" kit could be a significant advancement in understanding and treating Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL, given its high precision and effectiveness compared to conventional diagnostic tools.
The immune system plays a crucial role in cancer development and progression. More than a century ago, mouse models showed that primary tumors suppressed the growth of newly implanted secondary tumors. This phenomenon, in which tumor-primed T cells mediate the rejection of tumor growth at a distant site, is known as concomitant tumor immunity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJuvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), which is classified as a myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm, is a rare hematologic malignancy of childhood. Most patients with JMML require allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) as a curative therapy. A Japanese retrospective analysis demonstrated favorable outcomes for a busulfan (BU) + fludarabine (FLU) + melphalan (MEL) regimen, with an overall survival (OS) of 72% and an event-free survival (EFS) of 53%.
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- - The study describes a case involving a 35-year-old pregnant woman whose fetus was diagnosed with bilateral giant cervical cysts, leading to a risk of airway blockage after birth.
- - At 37 weeks of pregnancy, a caesarean delivery was performed using the EXIT procedure, which intended to facilitate immediate airway access; however, difficulties with intubation required a tracheotomy.
- - The procedure was successful with no postoperative complications due to thorough preoperative planning and team collaboration from various medical departments.
Association fibers connect different areas of the cerebral cortex over long distances and integrate information to achieve higher brain functions, particularly in humans. Prototyped association fibers are developed to the respective tangential direction throughout the cerebral hemispheres along the deepest border of the subplate during the fetal period. However, how guidance to remote areas is achieved is not known.
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- Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is recommended for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) only when other treatments are unlikely to work, yet outcomes for those not in complete remission (CR) are poor.
- In a study of 55 non-CR patients who underwent HSCT, the 1-year overall survival (OS) rate was only 27.3%, indicating they faced higher relapse rates and worse prognostic factors compared to CR patients.
- Interestingly, patients with high hyperdiploid (HHD) ALL had a much better 1-year OS of 80%, and long-term survival was over 5 years, suggesting that a select group of non-CR patients, particularly younger
Background: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia has distinct biological characteristics and a poorer prognosis than B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. This trial aimed to reduce the rate of radiation and haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) while improving outcomes by adding nelarabine, intensified L-asparaginase, and protracted intrathecal therapy in the Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (BFM)-type treatment.
Methods: In this nationwide, multicenter, phase 2 trial, we enrolled patients with newly diagnosed T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (age <25 years at diagnosis) conducted by Japan Children's Cancer Group and Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group.
Article Synopsis
- * The study surveyed physicians with extensive experience in treating adolescent cancer patients to identify challenges related to explaining diseases and obtaining informed consent.
- * Findings highlighted significant difficulties faced by physicians in communicating with both patients and their parents, which impacts the informed consent process and suggests a need for better assessment tools tailored for adolescents.
Article Synopsis
- Pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) shows poor outcomes, and this study focused on identifying genetic abnormalities in TP53 and RB1 genes among 328 pediatric patients.
- Alterations in TP53 (2.1%) and RB1 (1.8%) were found mostly in patients without specific gene rearrangements, and these alterations were linked to significantly worse survival rates.
- The study highlights how gene expression changes related to energy metabolism and protein secretion, along with specific gene markers, may aid in tailoring future therapies for pediatric AML.
Introduction: Relapsed and refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (R/R-B-ALL) is linked to a significant relapse rate after allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) in children, adolescents and young adults (CAYA). No standard treatment has been established to prevent relapse after allo-HCT for R/R-B-ALL, which is an unmet medical need. The administration of blinatumomab after allo-HCT is expected to enhance the antileukaemic effect on residual CD19-positive blasts by donor-derived CD3-positive T-cells.
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