Publications by authors named "Rika Maeda"

In 2021, an outbreak of food poisoning caused by Clostridium botulinum type C occurred in Kumamoto, Japan. Analysis of the isolated strain revealed that it possessed the bont/C gene and was slightly different from the reference bont/C gene. The risk for human infection with this new toxin type may be low.

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Recently, ω-3 fatty acids have been revealed to having cancer cell growth suppressibility. It is necessary to analyze the mechanism of cancer cell growth suppressibility and to impart selective cancer cell accumulation when creating anticancer drugs based on ω-3 fatty acids. Therefore, it is necessarily essential to introduce a luminescent molecule or a molecule which have a drug delivery function into ω-3 fatty acids, and the position of introduction is the ω-3 fatty acids' carboxyl group.

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Article Synopsis
  • - An emerging enteropathogen has been linked to several foodborne outbreaks in Japan, but most foods associated with these outbreaks remain unidentified, highlighting the need for accurate detection methods.
  • - The study developed a real-time PCR assay (EA-rtPCR) specifically targeting a gene of the pathogen, demonstrating its effectiveness with a detection limit of 2.0-3.2 log CFU/mL in enriched chicken samples.
  • - Comparative testing showed that EA-rtPCR was more sensitive than nested-PCR in detecting the pathogen in chicken meat, with multiple positive findings in retail chicken and carcasses, indicating its potential to enhance food safety and research on infections.
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Natural products that inhibit cell cycle progression show promise as anticancer agents and chemical probes. In our research on biologically active natural products that affect cell cycle progression of HeLa/fluorescent ubiquitination-based cell cycle indicator (Fucci)2 cells, the extract of the marine sponge Neopetrosia chaliniformis was revealed to inhibit cell proliferation. Purification of the extract afforded four new pyridine alkaloids, neopetrosidines A-D (1-4).

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Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Rika Maeda"

  • - Rika Maeda's recent research focuses on the intersection of food safety and cancer therapeutics, highlighting both pathogenic strains in food sources and the potential of natural compounds in cancer treatment.
  • - Key findings include the identification of a novel strain of Clostridium botulinum type C linked to human infection risks, and advancements in developing ω-3 fatty acid derivatives as selective cancer cell inhibitors by modifying their chemical structure.
  • - Additionally, Maeda's work encompasses the creation of a real-time PCR assay for detecting emerging foodborne pathogens in chicken meat, and the discovery of new pyridine alkaloids from marine sponges that demonstrate significant anti-cancer properties by affecting cell cycle progression.