Cholesterol in the ciliary membrane as a therapeutic target against cancer.

Primary cilium is a non-motile, antenna-like structure that develops in the quiescent G phase-cell surface. It is composed of an array of axonemal microtubules polymerized from the centrosome/basal body. The plasma membrane surrounding the primary cilium, which is called the ciliary membrane, contains a variety of receptors and ion channels, through which the cell receives extracellular chemical and physical stimuli to initiate signal transduction.

Double cancer of primary hepatic angiosarcoma and hepatocellular carcinoma treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab.

Aim: Primary hepatic angiosarcoma (PHA) is extremely rare, and its imaging findings are similar to those of other liver tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we report a case of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related HCC followed by PHA that showed remarkable clinical response to atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo/Bev) therapy.

Case Presentation: A 78-year-old man with recurrent HCC had a liver tumor with lymphadenopathy.

The concerted elevation of conjugation reactions is associated with the aggravation of acetaminophen toxicity in Akr1a-knockout mice with an ascorbate insufficiency.

Aims: Acetaminophen (APAP) is a relatively safe analgesic drug, but overdosing can cause acute liver failure. Ingested APAP is detoxified by metabolic conversion through conjugation reactions with glucuronate, sulfate, or glutathione (GSH). The consumption of GSH through conjugation as well as mitochondrial dysfunction is considered to be responsible for the increased susceptibility to APAP-induced hepatotoxicity.

Rapid growing myofibroma of the gingiva: report of a case and review of the literature.

Purpose: Myofibroma is a rare benign tumor of myofibroblasts that rarely exhibits rapid enlargement and is misinterpreted as a malignant lesion. The aim of this study was to investigate its growth potential and to evaluate the usefulness of preoperative immunohistochemical study for an accurate diagnosis.

Materials And Methods: A case of rapidly growing myofibroma of the lower gingiva was analyzed using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography fused with computed tomography (PET/CT) and immunohistochemical study of Ki-67 and p53.

Whipple disease diagnosed with PCR using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens of the intestinal mucosa.

We herein present the case of a 54-year-old Japanese woman with Whipple disease diagnosed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens. The patient complained of weight loss, diarrhea and arthralgia. An endoscopic examination revealed swollen villi in the duodenum and ileum.

Regulation of microRNA expression by hepatocyte growth factor in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a multifunctional molecule that acts as mitogen, motogen, and/or morphogen in a variety of cells. MET, a specific receptor tyrosine kinase for HGF, is upregulated in various tumors including squamous cell carcinoma of the human head and neck (HNSCC), but how HGF affects the expression of downstream functional genes has not yet been elucidated in detail. In the present study, we examined the expression of microRNA (miRNA), non-coding small RNA that regulate cell proliferation and functions by interfering with the translation of target mRNA, with or without HGF stimulation in HNSCC cell line HSC3.

A NOTCH3-mediated squamous cell differentiation program limits expansion of EMT-competent cells that express the ZEB transcription factors.

Zinc finger E-box-binding (ZEB) proteins ZEB1 and ZEB2 are transcription factors essential in TGF-β-mediated senescence, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and cancer stem cell functions. ZEBs are negatively regulated by members of the miR-200 microRNA family, but precisely how tumor cells expressing ZEBs emerge during invasive growth remains unknown. Here, we report that NOTCH3-mediated signaling prevents expansion of a unique subset of ZEB-expressing cells.

Ruptured mucinous cystic neoplasm with an associated invasive carcinoma of pancreatic head in a pregnant woman: report of a case and review of literature.

Mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) of the pancreas is characterized by mucin-producing columnar epithelium and an ovarian-type stroma. It occurs almost exclusively in women and is almost always located in the pancreatic body or tail. Here, we report a case of large MCN located in the pancreatic head but not in the body nor tail in a 32-year-old pregnant woman, which was thought to have grown rapidly during pregnancy.

Expression of microRNAs in squamous cell carcinoma of human head and neck and the esophagus: miR-205 and miR-21 are specific markers for HNSCC and ESCC.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding small RNAs that regulate cell proliferation and functions by interfering with the translation of target mRNAs. Altered expression of miRNA is known to induce various human malignancies. We examined the expression of miRNAs in squamous cell carcinoma of human head and neck (HNSCC) and esophagus (ESCC), compared to that in normal squamous epithelia as well as malignancies of other organs.