Publications by authors named "Megumi Ihara"

N,N'-Dipyrid-3-yl-1,4,5,8-naphthalenediimide linked to two tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (1) exhibits strong fluorescence emission in the solid state by the formation of a charge-transfer complex containing small aromatic guest molecules. Hydrophobic 1 was dissolved in water by mixing with poly-L-lysine (PLL) as a solubilizing agent. The 1-PLL complex could include small aromatic guest molecules in water, significantly increasing the fluorescence.

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Invited for the cover of this issue is Toshikazu Ono, Yoshio Hisaeda and co-workers at Kyushu University and their collaborators at Ochanomizu University, Chuo University, and Institute for Molecular Science. The image depicts a molecular assembly structure shining like a jewel, glowing in the red-to-near infrared region. Read the full text of the article at 10.

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Room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) emitters have attracted significant attention. However, purely organic RTP emitters in red to near-infrared region have not been properly investigated. In this study, a series of naphthalenediimide-halobenzoate-linked molecules are synthesized, one of which exhibits efficient RTP properties, showing red to near-infrared emission in solid and aqueous dispersion.

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A significant reduction of EphA7 expression in human colorectal cancers was shown using semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis in 59 colorectal cancer tissues, compared to corresponding normal mucosas (P=0.008), and five colon cancer cell lines. To investigate the mechanism of EphA7 downregulation in colorectal cancer, we examined the methylation status of the 5'CpG island around the translation start site in five colon cancer cell lines using restriction enzymes, methylation-specific PCR, and bisulfite sequencing and found evidence of aberrant methylation.

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The erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular (EPH)A2 receptor, tyrosine kinase, is overexpressed and phosphorylated in several types of human tumors and has been associated with malignant transformation. A recent report, however, indicated that stimulation of the EPHA2 receptor ligand, ephrinA1 (EFNA1), inhibits the growth of EPHA2-expressing breast cancer. The authors examined the expression of EPHA2 and EFNA1 using semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in four gastric cancer cell lines and 49 primary gastric cancer samples, as well as in normal gastric tissue.

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Evidence suggests that the erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular (EPH) receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and their ephrin (EFN) ligands are involved in human carcinogenesis. Expression of two of them, EFNA1 ligand and its receptor, EPHA2, has been proposed to contribute to tumor-induced neovascularization. Colorectal cancers were examined for expressions of EPHA2 and its ligand EFNA1 by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and double-immunostained for EPHA2 and CD34.

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Purpose: We have previously reported that EPHB2 is overexpressed in gastric cancer; however, the expression profiles of its ligands, EFNB1 and EFNB2, are unknown. This study was designed to investigate the expression of EPHB2 and its ligands, EFNB1 and EFNB2, in human gastric cancer.

Methods: Semi-quantitative RT-PCR using (32)P was performed on human gastric cancer tissues and corresponding normal tissues (29 gastric cancer patients).

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