Detection of circulating tumor cells in patients with lung cancer using metallic micro-cavity array filter: A pilot study.

We have developed a metallic micro-cavity array filter and an automated detection system for capturing circulating tumor cells (CTCs). In this single institutional pilot study, we assessed the ability of this device to detect CTCs in patients with lung cancer at each stage. Patients diagnosed with lung cancer, undergoing planned surgery for lung cancer, or suspected of having lung cancer were recruited (40 recruited and 2 excluded).

Clinical study designs and patient selection methods based on genomic biomarkers: Points-to-consider documents.

Recently, genomic biomarkers have been widely used clinically for prediction of the efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapy and diagnosis and prognosis of pathological conditions. Therefore, genomic biomarkers are anticipated to accelerate not only precision medicine for pharmacotherapy but also development of molecularly targeted drugs. Because the design of clinical studies involving biomarkers may differ from conventional clinical study designs, a concept paper focused on clinical studies and patient selection methods based on genomic biomarkers is desired to prompt innovative drug development.

Heterogeneous Expression of Programmed Death Receptor-ligand 1 on Circulating Tumor Cells in Patients With Lung Cancer.

Background: Blockade of the programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) pathway is effective against solid tumors including lung cancer. PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on tumor tissue serves as a predictive biomarker for the efficacy of PD-1 pathway blockade. Here, we evaluated the expression of PD-L1 on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with lung cancer.

Development of an automated size-based filtration system for isolation of circulating tumor cells in lung cancer patients.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), defined as tumor cells circulating in the peripheral blood of patients with solid tumors, are relatively rare. Diagnosis using CTCs is expected to help in the decision-making for precision cancer medicine. We have developed an automated microcavity array (MCA) system to detect CTCs based on the differences in size and deformability between tumor cells and normal blood cells.

Calcilytics enhance sildenafil-induced antiproliferation in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is a progressive and fatal disease of the pulmonary artery resulting from currently unidentified etiology. IPAH is pathologically characterized as sustained vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling of the pulmonary artery. Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors have been clinically used in the treatment of IPAH.

Characteristics of pharmacogenomics/biomarker-guided clinical trials for regulatory approval of anti-cancer drugs in Japan.

Pharmacogenomics (PGx) or biomarker (BM) has the potential to facilitate the development of safer and more effective drugs in terms of their benefit/risk profiles by stratifying population into categories such as responders/non-responders and high-/low-risks to drug-induced serious adverse reactions. In the past decade, practical use of PGx or BM has advanced the field of anti-cancer drug development. To identify the characteristics of the PGx/BM-guided clinical trials for regulatory approval of anti-cancer drugs in Japan, we collected information on design features of 'key trials' in the review reports of anti-cancer drugs that were approved after the implementation of the 'Revised Guideline for the Clinical Evaluation of Anti-cancer drugs' in April 2006.

Synthetic studies on glycosphingolipids from protostomia phyla: synthesis of glycosphingolipids from the parasite Schistosoma mansoni.

Synthetic access to three neutral glycosphingolipids from the parasite Schistosoma mansoni adult worm has been achieved. These structures differ significantly from those of other parasites and exhibit a unique structural motif termed "schisto-core" consisting of GalNAcbeta1-->4Glcbeta1-->sequence. We have synthesized glycosphingolipids, beta-D-GalNAcp-(1-->4)-beta-D-Glcp-(1-->1)Cer (1), beta-D-GlcNAcp-(1-->3)-beta-D-GalNAcp-(1-->4)-beta-D-Glcp-(1-->1)Cer (2) and beta-D-Galp-(1-->4)-beta-D-GlcNAcp-(1-->3)-beta-D-GalNAcp-(1-->4)-beta-D-Glcp-(1-->1)Cer (3).