Publications by authors named "M Hirama"

Ciguatera poisoning (CP), caused by ciguatoxins (CTXs), is one of the most common food-borne diseases, affecting more than 50,000 people each year. In most cases, CP are managed with symptomatic and supportive remedies, and no specific treatment has been devised. In this study, toward the development of therapeutic antibodies for CP, we examined to humanize mouse anti-CTX3C antibody 10C9 (m10C9), which exhibited neutralizing activity against ciguatoxin in vitro and in vivo.

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Background: Factors related to surgical outcomes of type I tympanoplasty for tympanic membrane (TM) perforation in children are controversial.

Objectives: To investigate factors related to anatomical results of type I tympanoplasty for TM perforation 1 year after surgery.

Material And Methods: We examined 68 ears.

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Article Synopsis
  • Ciguatoxins (CTXs) are harmful neurotoxins that cause ciguatera poisoning (CP), affecting over 50,000 people globally each year, which highlights the urgent need for effective detection methods.
  • The N2a assay is a leading technique for detecting CTXs, with a proposed action level of 0.01 μg CTX1B equivalent per kg in fish, necessitating improved sensitivity for accurate detection.
  • This study successfully enhanced the N2a assay's sensitivity to CTXs by using potassium channel inhibitors, achieving up to a four-fold increase in sensitivity compared to traditional methods, marking a significant advancement in understanding the role of K channels in CTX toxicity.
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Rikō Majima published seven papers in this journal, and seeing these papers and their surrounding contexts allows us to glance at the birth of a galaxy of scientists.

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Article Synopsis
  • Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) affects over 50,000 people globally each year and is caused by consuming fish and invertebrates that have ciguatoxins (CTXs).
  • The study focuses on improving detection methods for CTXs in fish, specifically developing a near-infrared fluorescent ligand in receptor binding assays and a faster neuroblastoma cell-based assay.
  • Results show that while the receptor binding assay had consistent binding affinities across CTX variants, this didn't correlate with their toxicity in mice, whereas the neuroblastoma assay correlated well with toxicity measurements, enhancing the assessment of CTX risks.
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