Randomized Phase II Trial of CapOX plus Bevacizumab and CapIRI plus Bevacizumab as First-Line Treatment for Japanese Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (CCOG-1201 Study).

Purpose: The aim of this randomized, multicenter, noncomparative, phase II trial was to investigate the efficacy and safety of two potential first-line treatments, capecitabine and oxaliplatin (CapOX) plus bevacizumab (BEV) and capecitabine and irinotecan (CapIRI) plus bevacizumab, in Japanese patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Patients And Methods: Patients with untreated mCRC were randomly assigned to receive either CapOX plus bevacizumab (CapOX/BEV arm: bevacizumab 7.5 mg/kg and oxaliplatin 130 mg/m on day 1 and oral capecitabine 2,000 mg/m on days 1-14, every 3 weeks) or CapIRI plus bevacizumab (CapIRI/BEV arm: bevacizumab 7.

Postoperative adalimumab maintenance therapy for Japanese patients with Crohn's disease: a single-center, single-arm phase II trial (CCOG-1107 study).

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of planned postoperative adalimumab (ADA) therapy for Japanese patients with Crohn's disease (CD).

Methods: The subjects of this study were 26 patients who underwent bowel resection for CD. All patients received subcutaneous injections of ADA 160/80 mg at the time of surgery and 2 weeks later, followed by 40 mg every 2 weeks thereafter.

Prognostic relevance of expression in gastric cancer.

The prognosis for patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC) remains poor. The identification of biomarkers relevant to the recurrence and metastasis of GC is advantageous for stratifying patients and proposing novel molecular targets. In the present study the oncological roles of SAM domain, SH3 domain and nuclear localization signals 1 (), a mediator of B-cell function, were elucidated in GC.

Neurotrophin Receptor-Interacting Melanoma Antigen-Encoding Gene Homolog is Associated with Malignant Phenotype of Gastric Cancer.

Background: Identification of novel molecules implicated in the malignancy of gastric cancer (GC) is key to the development of personalized treatments and the improvement of patient outcome. Neurotrophin receptor-interacting melanoma antigen-encoding protein (NRAGE) regulates apoptosis and metastasis via interactions with various genes. This study aimed to evaluate the function and clinical significance of NRAGE in GC.

NRAGE promotes the malignant phenotype of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a fatal disease, primarily due to the limited effective therapies available for patients with advanced or recurrent stages of the disease. Therefore, in order to improve patient prognosis, it is important to identify an informative biomarker for HCC progression, as well as a molecular target for therapy. Neurotrophin receptor-interacting melanoma antigen-encoding protein (), a member of the type II melanoma-associated antigen family, mediates apoptosis and cell death through interactions with a wide range of proteins, and is implicated as a tumor suppressor or oncoprotein depending on cell type.

Adherens junctions associated protein 1 serves as a predictor of recurrence of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), the most common esophageal cancer in East Asia, is among the six cancers with the highest fatality rates worldwide. Unfortunately, multidisciplinary treatment strategies have not achieved satisfactory outcomes. Therefore, novel insights into the molecular biology of ESCC are required to improve treatment.

Function and diagnostic value of Anosmin-1 in gastric cancer progression.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a major global health problem that urgently requires novel molecular biomarkers for patient stratification as well as therapeutic targets. Anosmin-1 (ANOS1) gene encodes a cell adhesion molecule that plays diverse roles in multiple malignancies. We performed global expression profiling of GC cell lines and small interfering RNA (siRNA) experiments to determine the effect of ANOS1 expression on phenotype.

Reduced Expression of Adherens Junctions Associated Protein 1 Predicts Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Curative Hepatectomy.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) frequently recurs after curative resection. Therefore, the availability of sensitive biomarkers for progression and recurrence is essential for managing patients' clinical course. Adherens junctions associated protein 1 (AJAP1) may serve this purpose, because it mediates activities of tumor cells.

Translational implication of Kallmann syndrome-1 gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Accumulation of epigenetic alterations causes inactivation of tumor suppressors and contributes to the initiation and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Identification of methylated genes is necessary to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of HCC and develop novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. The Kallmann syndrome-1 (KAL1) gene encodes an extracellular matrix-related protein with diverse oncological functions.

Suppression of SAMSN1 Expression is Associated with the Malignant Phenotype of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: Identification of molecular markers for sensitive detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is required to achieve efficacious personalized therapy.

Methods: We focused here on SAM domain, SH3 domain, and nuclear localization signals 1 (SAMSN1) and investigated expression and methylation status of SAMSN1 in HCC cell lines and 144 pairs of surgical specimens.

Results: SAMSN1 was expressed at significantly lower levels in tumor tissue compared with the corresponding noncancerous tissues of patients with HCC.