Raman microscopy of cryofixed biological specimens for high-resolution and high-sensitivity chemical imaging.

Raman microscopy is an emerging molecular imaging technology, yet its signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in measurements of biological specimens is severely limited because of the small cross section of Raman scattering. Here, we present Raman imaging techniques of cryofixed specimens to overcome SNR limitations by enabling long exposure of specimens under highly stabilized low-temperature conditions. The observation of frozen specimens in a cryostat at a constant low temperature immediately after rapid freezing enabled the improvement of SNR and enhanced the spatial and spectral resolution.

Esophago-jejunal anastomosis with open approach using the parachute technique to prioritize safety after resection of esophagogastric junction cancer.

Background: The appropriate extent of resection for esophagogastric junction cancer and the method of surgical approach remain controversial. This study aimed to assess the safety and outcomes of the parachute technique, which is an open transhiatal reconstruction method that facilitates stable reconstruction.

Materials And Methods: The surgical outcomes of 20 consecutive patients who underwent open lower- esophagogastrectomy for EGJ cancer at Kitasato University Hospital from June 2019 to July 2023 were retrospectively reviewed.

A case of needle tract seeding of pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma after a single endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition.

Needle tract seeding (NTS) is a rare complication of endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition (EUS-TA). Herein, we report the case of an 83 year-old man who presented with a solid mass in the pancreatic tail, measuring 35 mm in diameter, with cystic degeneration. EUS-TA was performed using a 22-gauge biopsy needle, with a single puncture via the stomach; however, no definitive pathological diagnosis was achieved.

S-1/irinotecan/oxaliplatin chemotherapy achieved a pathological complete remission in advanced pancreatic carcinoma.

Chemotherapy has been developed for many years for malignancies, including advanced pancreatic cancer, downsizing the primary site, thereby enabling complete cure with the combination of conversion surgery. Pathological complete remission from operation samples was usually identified as a promising indication for a good prognosis for many carcinomas. Several case reports consisting of pathological complete remission after chemotherapy application have been reported but no case of pathological complete remission that resulted from successful extensive resection by surgery after S-1, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (SIROX) chemotherapy.

Effect of teduglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-2 analog, in eosinophilic enterocolitis: a case report.

We successfully treated a 4-year-old girl with short bowel syndrome and eosinophilic enterocolitis with teduglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-2 analog. Her eosinophilic enterocolitis was cured without relapse, and we were able to increase enteral nutrition. We found that teduglutide had an anti-inflammatory effect in this patient with eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease associated with short bowel syndrome.

High likelihood of BRCA2 reversion mutation in pancreatic cancer post-platinum-based chemotherapy: a case study.

A 54-year-old man with resectable pancreatic cancer and abnormally high levels of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) underwent 6 months of platinum-based chemotherapy. This treatment substantially reduced the primary tumor size and normalized CA19-9 levels. Subsequently, radical surgery was conducted.

Innate cells and STAT1-dependent signals orchestrate vaccine-induced protection against invasive infection.

Fungal pathogens are underappreciated causes of significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. In previous studies, we determined that a heat-killed, fbp1-deficient strain (HK-fbp1) is a potent vaccine candidate. We determined that vaccination with HK-fbp1 confers protective immunity against lethal Cryptococcosis in an interferon γ (IFNγ)-dependent manner.

Para-aortic lymph node dissection following neoadjuvant chemotherapy for type 4 or large type 3 gastric cancer with extensive lymph node metastasis.

Background: D2 and para-aortic lymph node dissection (PAND) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) are reportedly effective for gastric cancer (GC) with extensive lymph node metastasis (ELM), such as para-aortic nodal metastasis or bulky nodal metastasis, around the major perigastric arteries. However, type 4 and large type 3 tumors were excluded from previous studies, as they are considered special subtypes that easily spread to the peritoneum. Whether or not PAND contributes to the survival of type 4 or large type 3GC with ELM is thus unclear.

Lack of RAMP1 Signaling Suppresses Liver Regeneration and Angiogenesis Following Partial Hepatectomy in Mice.

Background/aim: The liver effectively restores both size and function following partial hepatectomy (PHx). Angiogenesis is crucial for the repair and regeneration of liver tissue post-PHx. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) released from sensory nerves and its receptor-receptor activity-modifying protein 1 (RAMP1) are involved in angiogenesis.

Helminth protein enhances wound healing by inhibiting fibrosis and promoting tissue regeneration.

Skin wound healing due to full thickness wounds typically results in fibrosis and scarring, where parenchyma tissue is replaced with connective tissue. A major advance in wound healing research would be to instead promote tissue regeneration. Helminth parasites express excretory/secretory (ES) molecules, which can modulate mammalian host responses.

The impact of repeated temperature cycling on cryopreserved human iPSC viability stems from cytochrome redox state changes.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are an attractive cell source for regenerative medicine. For its widespread use as a starting material, a robust storage and distribution system in the frozen state is necessary. For this system, managing transient warming during storage and transport is essential, but how transient warming affects cells and the mechanisms involved are not yet fully understood.

CAFs-Associated Genes (CAFGs) in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and Novel Therapeutic Strategy.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most aggressive cancer with striking fibrosis, and its mortality rate is ranked second across human cancers. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a critical role in PDAC progression, and we reviewed the molecular understanding of PDAC CAFs and novel therapeutic potential at present. CAFs-associated genes (CAFGs) were tentatively classified into three categories by stroma specificity representing stroma/epithelia expression ratios (SE ratios).

CAF-associated genes putatively representing distinct prognosis by in silico landscape of stromal components of colon cancer.

Comprehensive understanding prognostic relevance of distinct tumor microenvironment (TME) remained elusive in colon cancer. In this study, we performed in silico analysis of the stromal components of primary colon cancer, with a focus on the markers of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) and tumor-associated endothelia (TAE), as well as immunological infiltrates like tumor-associated myeloid cells (TAMC) and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). The relevant CAF-associated genes (CAFG)(representing R index = 0.

On-the-fly Raman microscopy guaranteeing the accuracy of discrimination.

Accelerating the measurement for discrimination of samples, such as classification of cell phenotype, is crucial when faced with significant time and cost constraints. Spontaneous Raman microscopy offers label-free, rich chemical information but suffers from long acquisition time due to extremely small scattering cross-sections. One possible approach to accelerate the measurement is by measuring necessary parts with a suitable number of illumination points.

Unique transport paths of Cs from the Indian to Southern Oceans.

To assess ocean-scale transport systems, we examined the latitudinal cross-sectional distribution of Cs activity concentrations in the Indian and Southern Oceans between December 2019 and January 2020 using low-background γ-spectrometry. At 0°-20°S, Cs concentrations exhibited a gradual decrease below the mixing layer (1-0.1 mBq/L).

Potent CTLs can be induced against tumor cells in an environment of lower levels of systemic MFG-E8.

The direction and magnitude of immune responses are critically affected when dead cells are disposed of. Milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor-factor 8 (MFG-E8) promotes the engulfment of apoptotic normal and cancerous cells without inducing inflammation. We have previously reported that a certain proportion of the cancer cells express abundant MFG-E8, and that such expression is associated with the shorter survival of patients with esophageal cancer who had received chemotherapy before surgery.

Rapid activation of IL-2 receptor signaling by CD301b DC-derived IL-2 dictates the outcome of helper T cell differentiation.

Effector T helper (Th) cell differentiation is fundamental to functional adaptive immunity. Different subsets of dendritic cells (DCs) preferentially induce different types of Th cells, but the fate instruction mechanism for Th type 2 (Th2) differentiation remains enigmatic, as the critical DC-derived cue has not been clearly identified. Here, we show that CD301b DCs, a major Th2-inducing DC subset, drive Th2 differentiation through cognate interaction by 'kick-starting' IL-2 receptor signaling in CD4T cells.

Early administration of postoperative BCAA-enriched PPN may improve lean body mass loss in gastric cancer patients undergoing gastrectomy.

Background: It has been reported that weight loss or lean body mass (LBM) loss after gastrectomy for gastric cancer is associated with prognosis and nutritional support alone is insufficient to prevent LBM loss. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) play an important role in muscle catabolism, however their clinical effects on suppression of LBM loss in gastric cancer patients undergoing gastrectomy remains elusive. In this current study, we investigated the effect of our original PPN regimen including BCAA (designated to BCAA-regimen) on LBM loss.

Correction for Extrinsic Background in Raman Hyperspectral Images.

Raman hyperspectral microscopy is a valuable tool in biological and biomedical imaging. Because Raman scattering is often weak in comparison to other phenomena, prevalent spectral fluctuations and contaminations have brought advancements in analytical and chemometric methods for Raman spectra. These chemometric advances have been key contributors to the applicability of Raman imaging to biological systems.

Differentiability of cell types enhanced by detrending a non-homogeneous pattern in a line-illumination Raman microscope.

A line illumination Raman microscope extracts the underlying spatial and spectral information of a sample, typically a few hundred times faster than raster scanning. This makes it possible to measure a wide range of biological samples such as cells and tissues - that only allow modest intensity illumination to prevent potential damage - within feasible time frame. However, a non-uniform intensity distribution of laser line illumination may induce some artifacts in the data and lower the accuracy of machine learning models trained to predict sample class membership.