Publications by authors named "Junko Zenkoh"

The interaction of tumor cells and their microenvironment is thought to be a key factor in tumor development. We present spatial RNA profiles obtained from 30 lung adenocarcinoma patients at the non-invasive and later invasive stages. We use spatial transcriptome sequencing data in conjunction with in situ RNA profiling to conduct higher resolution analyses.

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Cancer cells are generally exposed to numerous extrinsic stimulations in the tumor microenvironment. In this environment, cancer cells change their expression profiles to fight against circumstantial stresses, allowing their progression in the challenging tissue space. Technological advancements of spatial omics have had substantial influence on cancer genomics.

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  • The study investigates cell-cell interactions in colorectal cancer (CRC) to understand how adenomas progress to sporadic CRC, aiming to improve patient survival rates.
  • By using spatial transcriptomics on early and advanced CRC cases, the researchers identified key interactions between cancer cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs) that may lead to immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment.
  • Findings highlight midkine (MDK) as a critical signaling molecule involved in these interactions and indicate that higher MDK/SDC4 levels are linked to poorer survival outcomes in CRC patients, suggesting a potential target for early diagnosis and treatment.
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  • The study investigates the early stages of tumor development, specifically focusing on lung adenocarcinomas like adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma.
  • Researchers conducted comprehensive genomic analysis on 76 lung cancer samples, combining sequencing data with transcriptomic and epigenomic information.
  • Findings indicate that very early-stage tumors have minimal somatic mutations, primarily in key driver mutations, leading to copy number changes and global DNA hypomethylation as the disease progresses, particularly in Noguchi type B tumors.
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  • Combining radiotherapy and immunotherapy shows potential, but the immune response after radiotherapy is still not well understood.
  • Recent analyses revealed that immune cells infiltrate tumors and undergo significant changes in gene expression in response to radiotherapy over time.
  • Myeloid cells, in particular, were found to have increased expression of both stimulating and suppressive immune genes, indicating they might be valuable targets for future immunotherapy approaches alongside PD-L1 inhibitors.
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  • The study explores how cellular interactions in the tumor microenvironment affect treatment strategies for colorectal cancer (CRC), focusing on the invasion front of tumors.
  • By combining spatial transcriptomics and a single-cell transcriptomic atlas, researchers analyze CRC tissues to better understand cell-to-cell communication in this critical area.
  • The findings reveal that CRC cells at the invasion front can influence macrophages and enhance both their own growth and invasiveness while simultaneously evading anti-tumor immunity.
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The kidney is a complex organ that consists of various types of cells. It is occasionally difficult to resolve molecular alterations and possible perturbations that the kidney experiences due to drug-induced damage. In this study, we performed spatial and single-cell transcriptome analysis of rat kidneys and constructed a precise rat renal cell atlas with spatial information.

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Objectives: Microtubule inhibitors (MTIs) are widely used as anti-cancer drugs for various types of tumors. Vinorelbine, an MTI, is utilized in postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, especially for lung adenocarcinoma. However, no molecular markers are able to identify patients for whom MTIs would be effective.

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Purpose: Danger signals and release of tumor-specific antigens after exposure to ionizing radiation can convert an irradiated tumor into an in situ vaccine. However, radiation alone is not sufficient to induce an effective systemic immune response. In this study, we investigated whether a combination of x-ray irradiation with bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BM-DCs) and anti-PD-1 antibody (αPD1-ab) administration can enhance both local tumor control and the systemic abscopal effect in murine subcutaneous tumor models.

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Objective: To evaluate the hyperfractionated high-dose proton beam therapy (PBT) for patients with clival chordomas.

Methods: Records for 19 patients with pathologically verified clival chordomas treated with surgery followed by hyperfractionated PBT were retrospectively reviewed. The first 9 consecutive patients were treated with 77.

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We generated low-flux X-ray micro-planar beams (MPBs) using a laboratory-scale industrial X-ray generator (60 kV/20 mA) with custom-made collimators with three different peak/pitch widths (50/200 μm, 100/400 μm, 50/400 μm). To evaluate normal skin reactions, the thighs of C3H/HeN mice were exposed to 100 and 200 Gy MPBs in comparison with broad beams (20, 30, 40, 50, 60 Gy). Antitumor effects of MPBs were evaluated in C3H/HeN mice with subcutaneous tumors (SCCVII).

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Background: Proton-beam radiotherapy (PBT) has been shown to be effective to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as a nonsurgical local treatment option. However, HCC still remains as one of the most difficult cancers to be cured because of frequent recurrences. Thus, methods to inhibit the recurrence need to be explored.

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Background: Refractoriness of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) largely depends on its radioresistance. We investigated the radiosensitizing effects of celecoxib on GBM cell lines under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions.

Methods: Two human GBM cell lines, U87MG and U251MG, and a mouse GBM cell line, GL261, were treated with celecoxib or γ-irradiation either alone or in combination under normoxic and hypoxic conditions.

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One-third of patients with medulloblastoma die due to recurrence after various treatments including radiotherapy. Although it has been postulated that cancer stem-like cells are radio-resistant and play an important role in tumor recurrence, the "stemness" of medulloblastoma cells surviving irradiation has not yet been elucidated. Using a medulloblastoma cell line ONS-76, cells that survived gamma irradiation were investigated on their "stemness" in vitro.

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