Intranodal pressure of a metastatic lymph node reflects the response to lymphatic drug delivery system.

Cancer metastasis to lymph nodes (LNs) almost certainly contributes to distant metastasis. Elevation of LN internal pressure (intranodal pressure, INP) during tumor proliferation is associated with a poor prognosis for patients. We have previously reported that a lymphatic drug delivery system (LDDS) allows the direct delivery of anticancer drugs into the lymphatic system and is a promising treatment strategy for early-stage LN metastasis.

Metal Carbide as A Light-Harvesting and Anticoking Catalysis Support for Dry Reforming of Methane.

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) is one of the most attractive chemical reactions, since it converts global-warming gases into valuable syngas including hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Numerous previous studies used metal oxides catalysis supports, such as AlO, but their operating temperature was very high and severe coking occurred and deteriorated their catalytic activities. The present study reports that a metal carbide like tantalum carbide (TaC) acts as a multifunctional catalyst support for the DRM reaction, including light-harvesting properties for saving energy operation as well as an anticoking property for long-term stability.

Optimal range of injection rates for a lymphatic drug delivery system.

The lymphatic drug delivery system (LDDS) is a new technique that permits the injection of drugs into a sentinel lymph node (SLN) at an early stage of tumor metastasis, thereby treating metastasis in the SLN and its secondary lymph nodes (LNs). The quantity of drug required for a LDDS is much smaller than that needed for systemic chemotherapy. However, the relationship between the rate of drug injection into a SLN and the amount of drug reaching the secondary LNs has not been investigated.

Study of fluid dynamics reveals direct communications between lymphatic vessels and venous blood vessels at lymph nodes of mice.

Cancer cells metastasize to lymph nodes, with distant metastasis resulting in poor prognosis. The role of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in the spread of cancer to distant organs remain incompletely characterized. The visualization of flow dynamics in the lymphatic and blood vessels of MXH10/Mo-lpr/lpr mice, which develop systemic swelling of lymph nodes up to 10mm in diameter, has revealed that lymph nodes have the potential to be a direct source of systemic metastasis.

New concept for the prevention and treatment of metastatic lymph nodes using chemotherapy administered via the lymphatic network.

Intravenous chemotherapy has poor access to metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) and is limited by short-lived drug concentrations. Here, we describe the administration of chemotherapy via the lymphatic network as a new concept for the prevention and treatment of metastatic LNs. A metastatic LN can be treated by the injection of drugs into an upstream LN, either the sentinel LN (SLN) or another upstream LN.

Early diagnosis of lymph node metastasis: Importance of intranodal pressures.

Regional lymph node status is an important prognostic indicator of tumor aggressiveness. However, early diagnosis of metastasis using intranodal pressure, at a stage when lymph node size has not changed significantly, has not been investigated. Here, we use an MXH10/Mo-lpr/lpr mouse model of lymph node metastasis to show that intranodal pressure increases in both the subiliac lymph node and proper axillary lymph node, which are connected by lymphatic vessels, when tumor cells are injected into the subiliac lymph node to induce metastasis to the proper axillary lymph node.

Communication between lymphatic and venous systems in mice.

The lymphatic system in mice consists of lymphatic vessels and 22 types of lymph nodes. Metastatic tumor cells in the lymphatic system spread to distant organs through the venous system. However, the communication routes between the lymphatic and venous systems have not been fully elucidated.