Publications by authors named "Minoru Fujimoto"

Background: Lipolysis-stimulated lipoprotein receptor (LSR), a lipid receptor, is associated with cancer progression. However, detailed effects on intracellular metabolism are unclear. We aimed to elucidate the mechanism of LSR-mediated lipid metabolism in gastric cancer.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates a young boy with severe autoimmune conditions who was found to have a germline gain-of-function mutation in the STAT3 gene through whole-exome sequencing.* -
  • Treatment with the targeted therapy tocilizumab led to a reduction in hospital stays and slowed the progression of pulmonary fibrosis, showing promise for managing his condition without increasing steroid use.* -
  • The findings suggest that genetic testing and functional analysis of STAT3 mutations are important for diagnosing early-onset autoimmune diseases and for considering targeted treatment options.*
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Lipolysis-stimulated lipoprotein receptor (LSR) is known as a lipoprotein receptor. LSR is expressed in various solid tumors, including epithelial ovarian, gastric, and colon cancers. High LSR expression is significantly associated with poor prognosis, but its role in cancer has not been fully elucidated.

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Background/aim: Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that target tumor antigens have recently been developed. Their antitumor activity is mainly achieved through antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) via effector cells such as tumor-infiltrated macrophages and natural killer (NK) cells. CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) have potent antitumor activity and are considered to increase the tumor infiltration of macrophages and NK cells; however, a completely solubilized novel CpG-schizophyllan (SPG) complex, K3-SPG, displays more potent antitumor activity.

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Objectives: Serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) have been used as useful biomarkers for reflecting the activity of large vessel vasculitides (LVV). However, a novel biomarker that could have a complementary role to these markers is still required. In this retrospective observational study, we investigated whether leucine-rich α-2 glycoprotein (LRG), a known biomarker in several inflammatory diseases, could be a novel biomarker for LVVs.

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Despite the effectiveness of imatinib, most gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) develop resistance to the treatment, mainly due to the reactivation of KIT tyrosine kinase activity. Sunitinib, which inhibits the phosphorylation of KIT and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor, has been established as second-line therapy for GISTs. The recently-developed heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor pimitespib (PIM; TAS-116) demonstrated clinical benefits in some clinical trials; however, the effects were limited.

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Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a lethal malignant tumor, for which new treatment options are urgently required. Lipolysis-stimulated lipoprotein receptor (LSR) is widely expressed in EOC, and it is associated with poor prognosis. In this study, we developed an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting LSR as a new therapeutic approach to EOC.

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Progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (PF-ILDs) have a poor prognosis and may be resistant to corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressants, but antifibrotic therapies such as nintedanib and pirfenidone have been shown to slow the deterioration of lung function. The aim of this study was to identify the characteristic cellular profile of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid at diagnostic bronchoscopy for predicting PF-ILDs, defined as fibrotic diseases on chest high-resolution computed tomography with more than a 5% relative decline in the percent predicted value of forced vital capacity (FVC) over 6 months. The proportions of inflammatory cells, CCR6CXCR3 T helper type 2 (Th2) cells among conventional CD4 T cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and peripheral blood, were measured by flowcytometry.

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Background/aim: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a fatal and debilitating disease, which is characterized by steady, poor survival rates despite advances in treatment. Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) 1 is up-regulated following cytokine-induced Janus kinase - signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway activation, and inhibitors of cytokine signaling play roles in regulating cell growth and differentiation. We investigated the therapeutic potential of SOCS1 for HNSCC.

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Background: Constitutive activation of STAT3 promotes oncogenesis and growth of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We investigated the mechanism of action of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1), an endogenous inhibitor of JAK, as gene therapy for OSCC.

Methods: Antitumor effect of SOCS1 was compared to JAK inhibitor I by cell proliferation assay, cell cycle analysis, and apoptosis analysis in vitro.

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Background: Despite the effectiveness of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) develop after the withdrawal of TKI. Based on previous studies, a subpopulation of drug-tolerant cells called "persister cells" may be responsible for the recurrence and have thus, gained attention as a novel target in cancer therapy.

Methods: The metabolic changes were investigated in imatinib-derived persister GIST cells.

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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a stroma-rich cancer. Extracellular matrix proteins produced by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) found in tumor stroma that impedes effective delivery of chemotherapeutic agents results in poor response in patients with PDAC. Previously, our group reported that glypican-1 (GPC1) was overexpressed in human PDAC and negatively correlated with patient survival.

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An antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) is a promising therapeutic modality because selective and effective delivery of an anti-cancer drug is achieved by drug-conjugated antibody-targeting cancer antigen. Glypican 1 (GPC1) is highly expressed in malignant tumors, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Herein, we describe the usefulness of GPC1-targeting ADC.

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Cholangiocarcinoma is a highly malignant cancer. Many patients need systemic chemotherapy to prevent tumor development and recurrence; however, their prognosis is poor due to the lack of effective therapy. Therefore, a new treatment option is urgently required.

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Background: Despite improvements in gastric cancer treatment, the mortality associated with advanced gastric cancer is still high. The activation of β-adrenergic receptors by stress has been shown to accelerate the progression of several cancers. Accordingly, increasing evidence suggests that the blockade of β-adrenergic signaling can inhibit tumor growth.

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Leucine-rich α-2 glycoprotein (LRG), one of the acute phase proteins mainly produced by the liver, similar to C-reactive protein, has been recognized as an inflammatory biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases. We recently demonstrated that LRG was also increased in the sera of psoriasis patients and correlated well with disease activity with a sensitivity and specificity much higher than C-reactive protein; however, whether LRG mechanistically contributed to the pathogenesis of psoriasis remained unclear. In this study, we explored the role of LRG in psoriasiform inflammation using LRG-knockout (KO) mice in an imiquimod (IMQ)-mediated model.

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Objective: Systemc sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Recently, it has been shown that leucine-rich α-2 glycoprotein (LRG) functions as a modulator of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling in fibrosis. We aimed to characterize the effect of LRG in SSc model and SSc patients.

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Lipolysis-stimulated lipoprotein receptor (LSR), also known as a component of tricellular tight junctions, is highly expressing in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). However, the biological role of LSR in EOC cells remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated liver kinase B1 (LKB1) mediated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity and investigated the effect of LSR on EOC cell survival under energy stress.

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This study aimed to determine the association between umbilical cord leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (LRG) and fetal infection and investigate the underlying mechanism of LRG elevation in fetuses. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who delivered at Osaka University Hospital between 2012 and 2017 and selected those with histologically confirmed chorioamnionitis (CAM), which is a common pregnancy complication that may cause neonatal infection. The participants were divided into two groups: CAM with fetal infection (CAM-f[+] group, n = 14) and CAM without fetal infection (CAM-f[-] group, n = 31).

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Objective: To investigate whether leucine-rich α2-glycoprotein (LRG) can be a biomarker for the disease activity, progression, and prognosis of interstitial pneumonia (IP) in patients with dermatomyositis (DM).

Methods: Correlations between the clinical findings and serum LRG levels were investigated in 46 patients with DM-IP (33 with acute/subacute IP [A/SIP] and 13 patients with chronic IP [CIP], including 10 fatal cases of IP).

Results: The median serum LRG level of 18.

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Background: Pancreatic cancer (PDAC) is the most lethal malignancy. New treatment options for it are urgently required. The aim was to develop an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting glypican-1 (GPC-1) as a new therapy for PDAC.

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Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is a global health problem. At present, prior exposure to Mtb can be determined by blood-based interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), but active TB is not always detectable by blood tests such as CRP and ESR. This study was undertaken to investigate whether leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (LRG), a new inflammatory biomarker, could be used to assess active disease of TB.

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Background: Despite the effectiveness of imatinib mesylate (IM), most gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) develop IM resistance, mainly due to the additional kinase-domain mutations accompanied by concomitant reactivation of KIT tyrosine kinase. Heat-shock protein 90 (HSP90) is one of the chaperone molecules required for appropriate folding of proteins such as KIT.

Methods: We used a novel HSP90 inhibitor, TAS-116, which showed specific binding to HSP90α/β with low toxicity in animal models.

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