Linear ubiquitination-induced necrotic tumor remodeling elicits immune evasion.

Tumor-elicited inflammation confers tumorigenic properties, including cell death resistance, proliferation, or immune evasion. To focus on inflammatory signaling in tumors, we investigated linear ubiquitination, which enhances the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway and prevents extrinsic programmed cell death under inflammatory environments. Here, we showed that linear ubiquitination was augmented especially in tumor cells around a necrotic core.

Impacts of dosing and drug withdrawal period on tacrolimus-based triple therapy in a non-human primate renal transplantation model.

Non-human primate (NHP) renal transplantation models are widely used vivo models for researching new immunosuppressive therapies including allograft tolerance strategies. To enroll animals into a tolerance study, an immunosuppressive regimen that efficiently establishes stable renal function in NHPs is needed. Here, we assessed the effect of triple therapy comprising 2.

The antioxidative stress regulator Nrf2 potentiates radioresistance of oral squamous cell carcinoma accompanied with metabolic modulation.

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which regulates the expression of critical antioxidant proteins, was recently demonstrated to play a key role in cancer progression. Resistance to radiotherapy is a major obstacle in treating oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, little is known about the association between Nrf2 and radioresistance in OSCC.

Oncolytic vaccinia virus induces a novel phenotype of CD8 effector T cells characterized by high ICOS expression.

Characterization of the intratumoral immune status is important for developing immunotherapies and evaluating their antitumor effectiveness. CD8 T cells are one of the most important cell types that directly and indirectly contribute to antitumor efficacy by releasing cytolytic molecules and inflammatory cytokines in the tumor microenvironment. Previously, we engineered a tumor-selective oncolytic vaccinia virus that encodes interleukin-7 (IL-7) and IL-12 and demonstrated its usefulness as an agent for vaccination against tumors, with data showing that antitumor efficacy was reliant upon CD8 T cells recruited by viral treatment.

Enhanced Expression of IGFBP-3 Reduces Radiosensitivity and Is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) modulates various cell functions through IGF-dependent or independent mechanisms. However, its biological roles in the radiosensitivity of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical significance and molecular mechanisms of the association between IGFBP-3 and OSCC radiosensitivity.

Intratumoral expression of IL-7 and IL-12 using an oncolytic virus increases systemic sensitivity to immune checkpoint blockade.

The immune status of the tumor microenvironment is a key indicator in determining the antitumor effectiveness of immunotherapies. Data support the role of activation and expansion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in increasing the benefit of immunotherapies in patients with solid tumors. We found that intratumoral injection of a tumor-selective oncolytic vaccinia virus encoding interleukin-7 (IL-7) and IL-12 into tumor-bearing immunocompetent mice activated the inflammatory immune status of previously poorly immunogenic tumors and resulted in complete tumor regression, even in distant tumor deposits.

Circulating miRNA-1290 as a potential biomarker for response to chemoradiotherapy and prognosis of patients with advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma: A single-center retrospective study.

MicroRNAs are a class of small, endogenous, noncoding 18- to 24-nucleotide-long RNAs that can regulate multiple processes related to cancer progression. However, their clinical value in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma has not yet been fully explored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of circulating microRNAs in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients.

Impact of hybrid FDG-PET/CT on gross tumor volume definition of cervical esophageal cancer: reducing interobserver variation.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy is being increasingly used to treat cervical esophageal cancer (CEC); however, delineating the gross tumor volume (GTV) accurately is essential for its successful treatment. The use of computed tomography (CT) images to determine the GTV produces a large degree of interobserver variation. In this study, we evaluated whether the use of [18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/CT fused images reduced interobserver variation, compared with CT images alone, to determine the GTV in patients with CEC.

Reliability of MRI-Derived Depth of Invasion of Oral Tongue Cancer.

Rationale And Objective: To evaluate the inter-rater reliability of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived depth of invasion (DOI) and the agreement between MRI and pathological measurements of oral tongue cancer.

Materials And Methods: The institutional review board approved this retrospective study. The study population consisted of 29 patients with clinical T2N0 oral tongue cancer treated by surgery.

Dose-function Histogram Evaluation Using Tc-GSA SPECT/CT Images for Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Planning for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients: A Dosimetric Parameter Comparison.

Background/aim: We evaluated the influence of previous treatments on the parametric discrepancies between dose-volume histograms (DVHs) and dose-function histograms (DFHs) generated based on Tc-GSA SPECT images of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Patients And Methods: Twelve patients underwent SBRT at 30-40 Gy. Registration between planning CT and SPECT/CT images was performed, and DFH parameters were calculated as follows: Fx=(sum of the counts within the liver volume receiving a dose of more than x Gy/sum of the counts within the whole liver volume) ×100.

Tumor budding as a novel predictor of occult metastasis in cT2N0 tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

Occult neck metastasis is an important prognostic factor in patients with tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) who are deemed clinically negative for neck metastasis. The purpose of this study was to identify predictive factors for occult neck metastasis arising from TSCC and to determine patient prognosis. Ninety-seven patients with cT2N0 TSCC who underwent surgical resection of their primary lesion as initial therapy were enrolled in this retrospective study.

Radiotherapy for T3N0 glottic carcinoma without cord fixation: elective nodal irradiation or not?

Background: Although the T3 category has been changed in the sixth edition of the TNM staging system proposed by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the appropriate clinical target volume (CTV) of elective nodal irradiation (ENI) for T3N0 glottic carcinoma without cord fixation, which was formerly treated as a T1-2N0 disease, is not fully discussed.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 64 patients staged or restaged as T3N0 disease without cord fixation. All patients received irradiation to the primary lesion alone using opposed lateral fields.

FBXW7 expression affects the response to chemoradiotherapy and overall survival among patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma: A single-center retrospective study.

FBXW7 (F-box and WD repeat domain containing-7) is a tumor suppressor protein that regulates the degradation of various oncoproteins in several malignancies. However, limited information is available regarding FBXW7 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the clinical significance of FBXW7 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

A Web-based searchable system to confirm magnetic resonance compatibility of implantable medical devices in Japan: a preliminary study.

Confirmation of the magnetic resonance (MR) compatibility of implanted medical devices (IMDs) is mandatory before conducting magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. In Japan, few such confirmation methods are in use, and they are time-consuming. This study aimed to develop a Web-based searchable MR safety information system to confirm IMD compatibility and to evaluate the usefulness of the system.

Plan quality and delivery time comparisons between volumetric modulated arc therapy and intensity modulated radiation therapy for scalp angiosarcoma: A planning study.

Introduction: Due to its spherical surface, scalp angiosarcoma requires careful consideration for radiation therapy planning and dose delivery. Herein, we investigated whether volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is superior to intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in terms of the plan quality and delivery time.

Methods: Three different coplanar treatment plans were created for four patients, comprising a two-arc VMAT plan as well as 5-field and 9-field IMRT plans with 6 MV beams.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with S-1 in patients with stage III-IV oral squamous cell carcinoma: A retrospective analysis of nodal classification based on the neck node level.

The aim of the present study was to retrospectively evaluate the treatment outcomes of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with S-1, an oral fluoropyrimidine anticancer agent, for advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The study population consisted of 47 patients with clinical stage III or IV oral SCC, who underwent CCRT with S-1. Pretreatment variables, including patient age, clinical stage, T classification, midline involvement of the primary tumor and nodal status, were analyzed as predictors of survival.

IL-6 controls resistance to radiation by suppressing oxidative stress via the Nrf2-antioxidant pathway in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: In promoting tumour malignancy IL-6 signalling is considered to have an important role. However, the biological roles of IL-6 on radiosensitivity in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain largely unclear. The objective of this study is to determine the effects and molecular mechanisms of IL-6 on radiosensitivity in OSCC.

Comparison of Different Post-Processing Algorithms for Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast Perfusion Imaging of Cerebral Gliomas.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to compare different software algorithms for processing DSC perfusion images of cerebral tumors with respect to i) the relative CBV (rCBV) calculated, ii) the cutoff value for discriminating low- and high-grade gliomas, and iii) the diagnostic performance for differentiating these tumors.

Methods: Following approval of institutional review board, informed consent was obtained from all patients. Thirty-five patients with primary glioma (grade II, 9; grade III, 8; and grade IV, 18 patients) were included.

Radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: the predictive value of interim survival assessment.

Pretreatment characteristics are suggested as predictive and/or prognostic factors for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC); however, individual tumor radiosensitivities have previously not been considered. As boost planning is recommended for NPC, we performed interim assessments of magnetic resonance (MR) images for boost planning and retrospectively evaluated their predictive value for the survival of NPC patients. Radiation therapy via elective nodal irradiation (median dose: 39.

[Potential uncertainty about image registration in thoracic image-guided radiotherapy].

Purpose: Although image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) is widely used to determine and correct daily setup errors, the additional interpretation for image registration would provide another error. We evaluated the uncertainty in image registration in IGRT.

Method: The subjects consisted of 12 consecutive patients treated with IGRT for thoracic esophageal cancer.