The history of antibiotics: the Japanese story.

It is well-known that Japan was the third country, after the United States and the United Kingdom, to become self-sufficient in penicillin manufacture, as early as 1948. Besides the production of penicillin, much effort was made nationwide in exploratory research on anti-infective, anti-cancer, and agricultural antibiotics, and also other bioactive microbial products. One can list upwards of 117 useful antibiotics and related agents of Japanese origin, and among them, 41 agents have been licensed out around the world.

Cell proliferative activity and expression of cell-cell adhesion factors (E-cadherin, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenin, and p120) in sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma.

Background And Objectives: Sarcomatoid RCC (renal cell carcinoma) is an uncommon, but not rare, neoplasm which has been shown to have a much worse prognosis than common RCC. The current study was designed to investigate the association of proliferative activity and cell-cell adhesion molecules with sarcomatoid RCC.

Methods: Proliferative activity (Ki-67 labeling index) and expression of cell-cell adhesion associated molecules (E-cadherin, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenin, and p120) were examined using immunohistochemical techniques in 11 cases of sarcomatoid RCC.