Reinforced antimyeloma therapy via dual-lymphoid activation mediated by a panel of antibodies armed with bridging-BiTE.

Immunotherapy using bispecific antibodies including bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) has the potential to enhance the efficacy of treatment for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. However, myeloma may still recur after treatment because of downregulation of a target antigen and/or myeloma cell heterogeneity. To strengthen immunotherapy for myeloma while overcoming its characteristics, we have newly developed a BiTE-based modality, referred to as bridging-BiTE (B-BiTE).

Quality of clinical practice guidelines in Japan remains low: A cross-sectional meta-epidemiological study.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the characteristics, quality, and related factors of the Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) published in recent years.

Study Design And Setting: In this cross-sectional, meta-epidemiological study, we conducted a Google search for CPGs published by 30 Japanese medical societies that are the basis for training specialties between 2018 and 2019. We used the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II (AGREE II) tool and the Reporting Items for practice Guidelines in HealThcare (RIGHT) statement to evaluate the quality.

A single-chain antibody generation system yielding CAR-T cells with superior antitumor function.

Cancer immunotherapy using T cells redirected with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) has shown a lot of promise. We have established a single-chain antibody (scFv) generation system in which scFv library-expressing CAR-T cells can be screened appropriately based on their antitumor functions. A variable region library containing the variable and J regions of the human immunoglobulin light or heavy chain was fused with the variable region of a heavy or light chain encoded by an existing tumor-specific antibody to generate a new scFv library.

Direct comparison of target-reactivity and cross-reactivity induced by CAR- and BiTE-redirected T cells for the development of antibody-based T-cell therapy.

The development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) has led to the successful application of cancer immunotherapy. The potential reactivity mediated by CAR- and BiTE-redirected T cells needs to be assessed to facilitate the application of these treatment options to a broader range of patients. Here, we have generated CAR and BiTE possessing the same single chain fragment variable (scFv) specific for the HLA-A2/NY-ESO-1 complex (A2/NY-ESO-1).

Gene Modification and Immunological Analyses for the Development of Immunotherapy Utilizing T Cells Redirected with Antigen-Specific Receptors.

Cancer immunotherapy has been developed and established as a new treatment modality. Recently, adoptive transfer therapy using T cells redirected with antigen-specific antitumor receptors, such as T-cell receptor (TCR) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), has demonstrated clinical benefits even in patients with refractory malignancies. To advance this treatment modality, both generation of gene-modified T cells and evaluation of their reactivity with high quality in vitro are required.

Development of an FVIII Inhibitor in a Mild Hemophilia Patient with a Phe595Cys Mutation.

Mild hemophilia A is caused by a missense mutation in the FVIII gene that is responsible for a decrease in the FVIII:C to between 5% and 40%. The development of FVIII inhibitors has been reported in 3-13% of patients with mild hemophilia. Genetic risk factors for the development of inhibitors in mild hemophilia have been investigated.

A patient with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis-associated involvement of the central nervous system.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), a severe infectious disease caused by novel bunyavirus, SFTS virus (SFTSV), is endemic to China, Korea, and Japan. Most SFTS patients show abnormalities in consciousness. Pathological findings in the central nervous system (CNS) of SFTS patients are not reported.

Unusual presentation of a severely ill patient having severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome: a case report.

Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome is an emerging infectious disease caused by a novel phlebovirus belonging to the family Bunyaviridate. Emergence of encephalitis/encephalopathy during severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome progression has been identified as a major risk factor associated with a poor prognosis. Here we report the case of a severely ill patient with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus-associated encephalitis/encephalopathy characterized by a lesion of the splenium, which resolved later.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified presenting with bone and bone marrow involvement in the absence of lymphadenopathy.

A 74-year-old woman visited our hospital because of right chest pain and fatigue. Laboratory examinations revealed pancytopenia and an elevated level of serum lactate dehydrogenase. Although bone lesions were detected by computed tomography, there was no lymphadenopathy.

Acute abdomen due to group A streptococcus bacteremia caused by an isolate with a mutation in the csrS gene.

Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus) is an aerobic gram-positive coccus that causes infections ranging from non-invasive pharyngitis to severely invasive necrotizing fasciitis. Mutations in csrS/csrR and rgg, negative regulator genes of group A streptococcus, are crucial factors in the pathogenesis of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, which is a severe, invasive infection characterized by sudden onset of shock and multiorgan failure, resulting in a high mortality rate. Here we present a case of group A streptococcal bacteremia in a 28-year-old Japanese woman with no relevant previous medical history.

[Diagnosis of disseminated bone marrow carcinomatosis from gastric carcinoma initially presenting as asymptomatic anemia].

A 75-year-old man who had undergone subtotal gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer 18 years previously with no signs of recurrence visited our hospital because of anemia detected by medical examination. Although no clinical abnormalities were evident, treatment with iron and vitamin B12 was started. However, because serum ALP was elevated, metastatic bone cancer was suspected.