[A case of distal bile duct carcinoma converted to neuroendocrine cancer and proliferated into the pancreas].

A woman in her 50s was referred due to a solid mass in the head of the pancreas. It was diagnosed as a neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration. Consequently, pancreatoduodenectomy was performed.

Proposal of intestinal tissue engineering combined with Bianchi's procedure.

Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the feasibility of the small intestinal submucosa (SIS) when the longitudinal staples during Bianchi's procedure are replaced with SIS graft.

Methods: The mesentery of the bowel was separated based on the bifurcated vessels in five beagles. A 2×7-cm longitudinal half of the bowel was excised and the defect was repaired using SIS with similar blood supply in Bianchi's operation.

Predictive biomarkers for the outcome of vaccination of five therapeutic epitope peptides for colorectal cancer.

Background: We previously reported a phase I study of a cancer vaccine using five novel HLA-A*2402-restricted peptides, and demonstrated the safety and the promising potential of our five-peptide cocktail for advanced colorectal cancer. The objective of this analysis was to investigate predictive biomarkers for the prior selection of patients who are likely to have clinical benefit from such therapy.

Patients And Methods: Seventeen patients with colorectal cancer who were treated with the five peptides underwent a complete blood count, serum chemistry tests and enzyme-linked ImmunoSpot assay before the treatment as predictive markers of high reactivity to the peptides.

Influence of mesenchymal stem cells on stomach tissue engineering using small intestinal submucosa.

Small intestinal submucosa (SIS) is a biodegradable collagen-rich matrix containing functional growth factors. We have previously reported encouraging outcomes for regeneration of an artificial defect in the rodent stomach using SIS grafts, although the muscular layer was diminutive. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of SIS in conjunction with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for regeneration of the gastrointestinal tract.