Publications by authors named "Makoto Nakagawa"

Enchondromas are a common tumor in bone that can occur as multiple lesions in enchondromatosis, which is associated with deformity of the affected bone. These lesions harbor somatic mutations in IDH and driving expression of a mutant Idh1 in Col2 expressing cells in mice causes an enchondromatosis phenotype. Here we compared growth plates from E18.

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Intratumoral heterogeneity is common in cancer, particularly in sarcomas like undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS), where individual cells demonstrate a high degree of cytogenic diversity. Previous studies showed that a small subset of cells within UPS, known as the metastatic clone (MC), as responsible for metastasis. Using a CRISPR-based genomic screen , we identified the COMPASS complex member as a key regulator maintaining the metastatic phenotype of the MC in murine UPS.

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Article Synopsis
  • Enchondromas are bone tumors that can appear in multiple lesions due to a condition called enchondromatosis, which leads to bone deformities and is linked to specific genetic mutations.* -
  • In a study, researchers analyzed growth plates from E18.5 mice with a mutant gene compared to normal ones using advanced techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing and found significant differences in cell populations.* -
  • The study revealed that the mutant gene creates unique cell clusters associated with enchondromas while reducing populations that support normal bone growth, suggesting a shift in chondrocyte subpopulations due to the mutation.*
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Chondrosarcomas are the most common malignancy of cartilage and are associated with somatic mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) and IDH2 genes. Somatic IDH mutations are also found in its benign precursor lesion, enchondromas, suggesting that IDH mutations are early events in malignant transformation. Human mutant IDH chondrosarcomas and mutant Idh mice that develop enchondromas investigated in our studies display glycogen deposition exclusively in mutant cells from IDH mutant chondrosarcomas and Idh1 mutant murine growth plates.

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  • Reconstruction after periacetabular bone tumor removal poses challenges between using large bone grafts or implants for walking function and opting for hip transposition, which has less risk but variable results.
  • The study aims to assess recovery time for walking function after hip transposition, identify factors influencing early recovery, and examine if quick recovery correlates with improved walking ability and higher MSTS scores.
  • A retrospective review included 48 patients over a decade, focusing on those treated with hip transposition, with 38 patients monitored for at least 6 months to evaluate their functional recovery post-surgery.
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Rheology control is an important issue in many industrial products such as cosmetics and paints. Recently, low-molecular-weight compounds have attracted considerable attention as thickeners/gelators for various solvents; however, there is still a significant need for molecular design guidelines for industrial applications. Amidoamine oxides (AAOs), which are long-chain alkylamine oxides with three amide groups, are surfactants that act as hydrogelators.

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Malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRTs) are rare and highly aggressive pediatric cancers with no standard of care. MRTs are characterized by loss of SMARCB1, which results in upregulated expression of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), which is responsible for the methylation of lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27me3), leading to the repression of gene expression. Although previous reports suggest EZH2 as an effective therapeutic target, the functions of EZH1, the other homolog of EZH, in MRT remain unknown.

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Background: Dedifferentiated liposarcoma occurs predominantly in the retroperitoneum. Given the paucity of cases, information on the clinical characteristics of this entity in the extremities and trunk wall is quite limited. In particular, the significance of preoperative evaluation and principles of intraoperative management of the different components, i.

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Denosumab is a game-changing drug for giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB); however, its clinical biomarker regarding tumor ossification of GCTB has not been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the relationship between Wnt/β-catenin signaling and the ossification of GCTB and evaluated whether endogenous nuclear β-catenin expression predicted denosumab-induced bone formation in GCTB. Genuine patient-derived primary GCTB tumor stromal cells exhibited osteoblastic characteristics.

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Background: Chondrosarcoma is a common form of malignant bone tumor with limited treatment options. Approximately half of chondrosarcomas harbor gain-of-function mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), and mutant IDH produces 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG), which is an oncometabolite that contributes to malignant transformation. Therefore, inhibiting 2-HG production is a novel and promising treatment for advanced chondrosarcoma.

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Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone malignancy. Many patients develop relapse and metastasis after treatments, and more effective treatments are needed for improving the clinical outcome. FSTL1 overexpression has been reported in murine and human OS, while the functional roles of FSTL1 remain unclear.

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Periosteal chondrosarcoma is an extremely rare malignant cartilage-forming tumour that originates from the periosteum and occurs on the surface of bone. Often, it is difficult to distinguish periosteal chondrosarcoma from other tumours, and reports in the literature are scarce. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of periosteal chondrosarcoma, focusing particularly on medullary invasion.

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Article Synopsis
  • Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma (DDCS) is a serious type of bone cancer that's hard to treat and not much is known about it.
  • Researchers found that a specific gene called PRKCZ is not working properly in DDCS because of DNA changes called methylation.
  • By using a drug called decitabine that can fix the issue with PRKCZ, they were able to help cancer cells die, which could lead to new treatments for DDCS.
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We previously reported that conjugates of antimicrobial peptide fragment analogues and poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) enhance antimicrobial activity and that the conjugated micelle structure is an effective tool for antimicrobial drug delivery. In recent years, the delivery of antimicrobial peptides to targets for antimicrobial activity has attracted attention. In this study, we targeted , a causative organism of catheter-related bloodstream infections, which is refractory to antimicrobial agents and is currently a problem in medical practice.

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Pazopanib, trabectedin, and eribulin are administered for the treatment of soft tissue sarcomas (STSs); however, there is little consensus on which agent should be preferentially used in a clinical setting. This study assessed whether peripheral immune-related markers served as a useful reference when selecting pazopanib, trabectedin, or eribulin. This study included 63 patients who were administered pazopanib, trabectedin, or eribulin for advanced STSs between March 2015 and December 2020.

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Background: Mutant isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) in chondrosarcoma produces the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG) and contributes to malignant progression, and is therefore a potential therapeutic target for chondrosarcoma. Robust historical control data are important in clinical trials of rare cancers such as chondrosarcoma in order to show a clear benefit of new drugs. However, it remains controversial whether IDH mutation status is associated with the clinical outcome of chondrosarcoma, and this hinders the development of mutant IDH inhibitors in clinical trials.

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Background: Muir-Torre syndrome (MTS), which accounts for a small subset (1-3 %) of Lynch syndrome (LS), is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder characterized by sebaceous gland or keratoacanthoma associated with visceral malignancies. Most families with MTS have pathogenic germline variants (PGV) in MSH2. Sarcomas are not common on the LS tumor spectrum, and sarcomas associated with MTS are extremely rare.

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A laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system using a microchip laser for plasma generation is proposed for in-situ analysis of trace minerals in human hair. The LIBS system is more compact and less expensive than conventional LIBS systems, which use flashlamp-excited Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers. Focusing optics were optimized using a Galilean beam expander to compensate for the low emitted pulse energy of the microchip laser.

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Article Synopsis
  • Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a rare type of cancer that often becomes resistant to treatment, like the drug ibrutinib, so new treatment options are needed.
  • Researchers tested a new drug called OR-S1, which targets proteins called EZH1/2, and found that it worked better than ibrutinib in stopping tumor growth in mice with MCL.
  • The study showed that OR-S1 affects how MCL cells grow and change, and it works by targeting a protein called CDKN1C that helps control the cell cycle, making it a potential new treatment for tough-to-treat MCL.
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Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is the most common dermal sarcoma; it is characterized by the presence of the COL1A1-PDGFB translocation, which causes the constitutive activation of the platelet-derived growth factor β (PDGFB) signaling pathway. DFSP frequently exhibits local recurrence and is refractory to conventional chemotherapy. Therefore, a novel therapeutic strategy is required for improving the prognosis of DFSP.

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Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common malignant bone tumor and the prognosis of advanced cases is still poor. Recently, there have been several reports suggesting the relationship between innate immunity and OS, but the detailed mechanism is unknown. We demonstrate the relationship between OS and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) which is one of the most important factors in innate immunity.

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Background: Sarcopenia influences overall survival (OS) and tumor progression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. However, the impact of postoperative complications and the outcome of limited surgery have not been highlighted. Therefore, the aim of this study is to elucidate the prognostic impact of sarcopenia on surgical outcomes.

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CIC-DUX4 sarcoma (CDS), an aggressive soft tissue sarcoma, is characterized by a CIC and DUX4 rearrangement. It has a dismal clinical course and high metastatic rate and shows chemotherapy resistance; therefore, a novel therapeutic strategy is required. Patient-derived cell lines are indispensable tools for basic and preclinical research.

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Gliomas are the second most common primary brain tumors in adults. They are treated with combination therapies, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. There are currently limited treatment options for recurrent gliomas, and new targeted therapies need to be identified, especially in glioblastomas, which have poor prognosis.

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