Stratification of risk for lymph node metastasis and long-term oncologic outcomes in patients initially treated by endoscopic resection for rectal neuroendocrine tumors.

Background And Aims: The treatment of rectal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is determined by the risk of lymph node (LN) metastasis. This aim of this study was to stratify the risk of LN metastasis according to the number of risk factors and evaluate the long-term outcomes of patients initially treated endoscopically for rectal NETs.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 441 patients initially treated with endoscopy for rectal NETs; those who had at least 1 of the risk factors for LN metastasis were defined as high-risk patients.

A higher dietary alpha-linolenic acid intake is associated with lower colorectal cancer risk based on MUC4 rs2246901 variant among Korean adults.

Alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3 [ALA]) intake may have a beneficial effect in reducing cancer risk; however, its association with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk remains conflicted. Additionally, ALA was emphasized as being associated with mucins, an important glycoproteins family within the intestine. Thus, we hypothesized that a higher dietary ALA intake may reduce the risk of CRC and this preventive effect has an interaction with mucin 4 (MUC4) rs2246901.

Analysis of Meis2 knockout mice reveals Sonic hedgehog-mediated patterning of the cochlear duct.

Background: The mechanisms underlying the formation of complex structures such as during the outgrowth of the cochlear duct are still poorly understood.

Results: We have analyzed the morphological and molecular changes associated with cochlear development in mouse mutants for the transcription factor Meis2, which show defective coiling of the cochlea. These morphological abnormalities were accompanied by the formation of ectopic and extra rows of sensory hair cells.

Tumor Deposits as an Adverse Prognostic Indicator in Stage III Colon Cancer: A Multicenter Database Study.

Objective: We explored the oncological impact of tumor deposits (TDs) on colon cancer and proposed optimal modifications to the current staging system.

Background: In the existing American Joint Committee on Cancer colon cancer staging system, TDs are incorporated into the N category as N1c. When lymph node metastases (LNMs) are present, their number is considered to determine nodal stages, such as N1a/b or N2a/b, regardless of TDs.

Fecal Microbial Dysbiosis Is Associated with Colorectal Cancer Risk in a Korean Population.

Purpose: The association between the fecal microbiota and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk has been suggested in epidemiologic studies. However, data from large-scale population-based studies are lacking.

Materials And Methods: In this case-control study, we recruited 283 CRC patients from the Center for Colorectal Cancer, National Cancer Center Hospital, Korea to perform 16S rRNA gene sequencing of fecal samples.

Relationship Between Aspirin Use and Site-Specific Colorectal Cancer Risk Among Individuals With Metabolic Comorbidity.

Background: The relationship between aspirin usage and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) among individuals with both hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM) remains unclear. This study aims to explore the impact of aspirin use on the site-specific CRC risk in patients with metabolic comorbidity.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted among 1,331 CRC patients and 2,771 controls recruited from the Nation Cancer Center in Korea.

Are sporadic colorectal cancers in young patients distinct from those in elderly patients?

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the clinicopathological and oncological characteristics of sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) between young and elderly patients without any genetic mutations that cause hereditary CRC.

Method: In this cross-sectional, retrospective study conducted at three tertiary referral hospitals, we enrolled 1599 patients with CRC who underwent surgery between January 2010 and December 2017, including 157 young patients (age ≤ 40 years; yCRC) and 1442 elderly patients (age ≥ 70 years; eCRC). The clinicopathological and oncological outcomes were compared between the two groups.

Validating Well-Functioning Hepatic Organoids for Toxicity Evaluation.

"Organoids", three-dimensional self-organized organ-like miniature tissues, are proposed as intermediary models that bridge the gap between animal and human studies in drug development. Despite recent advancements in organoid model development, studies on toxicity using these models are limited. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to analyze the functionality and gene expression of pre- and post-differentiated human hepatic organoids derived from induced pluripotent stem cells and utilize them for toxicity assessment.

A Novel Inhibitor of Translation Initiation Factor eIF5B in .

The eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF5B is a bacterial IF2 ortholog that plays an important role in ribosome joining and stabilization of the initiator tRNA on the AUG start codon during the initiation of translation. We identified the fluorophenyl oxazole derivative 2,2-dibromo-1-(2-(4-fluorophenyl)benzo[d]oxazol-5-yl)ethanone quinolinol as an inhibitor of fungal protein synthesis using an in vitro translation assay in a fungal system. Mutants resistant to this compound were isolated in and were demonstrated to contain amino acid substitutions in eIF5B that conferred the resistance.

Fine-mapping analysis including over 254,000 East Asian and European descendants identifies 136 putative colorectal cancer susceptibility genes.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 200 common genetic variants independently associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, but the causal variants and target genes are mostly unknown. We sought to fine-map all known CRC risk loci using GWAS data from 100,204 cases and 154,587 controls of East Asian and European ancestry. Our stepwise conditional analyses revealed 238 independent association signals of CRC risk, each with a set of credible causal variants (CCVs), of which 28 signals had a single CCV.

Association of gut microbiome with immune microenvironment in surgically treated colorectal cancer patients.

This study explored the relationship between faecal microbiota distribution and local or systemic immune response in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The study population included 114 surgically treated CRC patients. Faeces were analysed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

The Association of Low-Carbohydrate Diet and rs11066280 Polymorphism with Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Case-Control Study in Korea.

Background: Glucose is a main source of energy for tumor cells. Thus, a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) is thought to make a significant contribution to cancer prevention. In addition, LCD and HECT domain E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 4 (HECTD4) gene may be related to insulin resistance.

Interactions between vitamin B2, the MTRR rs1801394 and MTR rs1805087 genetic polymorphisms, and colorectal cancer risk in a Korean population.

Objectives: We explored whether the association between vitamin B2 and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk could be modified by the MTRR rs1801394 and MTR rs1805087 genetic polymorphisms and examined whether the interaction effects are sex-specific.

Methods: We performed a case-control study involving 1,420 CRC patients and 2,840 controls from the Korea National Cancer Center. Dietary vitamin B2 intake was assessed using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire, and the association with CRC was evaluated.

Sex-specific associations of empirically derived dietary patterns with colorectal cancer risk in a Korean population: a case‒control study.

Dietary patterns may be a crucial modifiable factor in colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. This study aimed to examine the associations of dietary patterns derived from two methods with CRC risk in Korea. In a study of 1420 CRC patients and 2840 control participants, we obtained dietary patterns by principal component analysis (PCA) and reduced rank regression (RRR) using 33 predefined food groups.

The interaction effect of dietary selenium intake and the rs1800871 polymorphism on the risk of colorectal cancer: a case-control study in Korea.

The importance of Se in human health has received much attention due to its antioxidant properties when it is consumed at an appropriate level. However, the existing evidence is limited to obtain an effective conclusion for colorectal cancer (CRC). Notably, an adequate intake of Se was reported for Koreans.

Tyrosinase-Based Proximity Labeling in Living Cells and .

Characterizing the protein constituents of a specific organelle and protein neighbors of a protein of interest (POI) is essential for understanding the function and state of the organelle and protein networks associated with the POI. Proximity labeling (PL) has emerged as a promising technology for specific and efficient spatial proteomics. Nevertheless, most enzymes adopted for PL still have limitations: APEX requires cytotoxic HO for activation and thus is poor in biocompatibility for application, BioID shows insufficient labeling kinetics, and TurboID suffers from high background biotinylation.

Long-term clinical outcomes after high and low ligations with lymph node dissection around the root of the inferior mesenteric artery in patients with rectal cancer.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes based on the ligation level of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) in patients with rectal cancer.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database that included all patients who underwent elective low anterior resection for rectal cancer between January 2013 and December 2019. The clinical outcomes included oncological outcomes, postoperative complications, and functional outcomes.

The interaction between magnesium intake, the genetic variant rs1799817 and colorectal cancer risk in a Korean population: a case-control study.

Magnesium may have a significant impact on the development of cancer. However, the relationship between magnesium intake and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) is unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the association between magnesium intake and the risk of CRC, and we investigated how the insulin receptor ( rs1799817 variant impacts this relationship.

Exfoliate cancer cell analysis in rectal cancer surgery: comparison of laparoscopic and transanal total mesorectal excision, a pilot study.

Purpose: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is currently the standard treatment for rectal cancer. However, its limitations include complications and incomplete total mesorectal resection (TME) due to anatomical features and technical difficulties. Transanal TME (TaTME) has been practiced since 2010 to improve this, but there is a risk of local recurrence and intra-abdominal contamination.

Revisiting PFA-mediated tissue fixation chemistry: enables trapping of small molecules in the brain to visualize their distribution changes.

Various small molecules have been used as functional probes for tissue imaging in medical diagnosis and pharmaceutical drugs for disease treatment. The spatial distribution, target selectivity, and diffusion/excretion kinetics of small molecules in structurally complicated specimens are critical for function. However, robust methods for precisely evaluating these parameters in the brain have been limited.

Interaction between vitamin E intake and a COMT gene variant on colorectal cancer risk among Korean adults: a case-control study.

Objectives: Previous human trials have not supported the anticarcinogenic effect of vitamin E despite biological plausibility and considerable epidemiological evidence. A possible explanation for this inconsistency is the interactive effect of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene and supplemental vitamin E on cancer. We examined whether a COMT gene variant modulates the effect of dietary vitamin E intake on colorectal cancer (CRC) risk.

A large-scale microRNA transcriptome-wide association study identifies two susceptibility microRNAs, miR-1307-5p and miR-192-3p, for colorectal cancer risk.

Transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) have identified many putative susceptibility genes for colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. However, susceptibility miRNAs, critical dysregulators of gene expression, remain unexplored. We genotyped DNA samples from 313 CRC East Asian patients and performed small RNA sequencing in their normal colon tissues distant from tumors to build genetic models for predicting miRNA expression.

Protocol to visualize the distribution of exogenously administered small molecules in the mouse brain.

Here, we present fixation-driven chemical crosslinking of exogenous ligands, a protocol to visualize the distribution of exogenously administered small molecules in the mouse brain. We first describe the probe design of the small molecules of interest and the probe microinjection into a live mouse brain in detail. We then detail procedures for paraformaldehyde-perfusion fixation.