The Japan Marrow Donor Program, 25 years of experience in achieving 20,000 bone marrow transplantations: organization structure, activity, and financial basis.

The Japan Marrow Donor Program (JMDP), established in 1991, has continued to grow in its capacity to facilitate unrelated bone marrow (BMT) and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) for the past 25 years in Japan. The current donor pool is 463,465 (as of 31 December 2016) and 20,237 transplants were performed with the help of the Japanese Red Cross, government, and supporters. As JMDP introduced PBSCT in 2010, the vast majority of transplants are BMT.

Prognostic significance of Wilms tumor 1 mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood and bone marrow in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Background: This present study was designed to follow up 82 patients among 115 MDS patients registered in study ODK-0801 for 5 years, to analyze the relationship between the WT1 mRNA expression level and prognosis.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the clinical utility of WT1 mRNA expression levels.

Methods: After study ODK-0801, we investigated the conditions of the same patients once a year, including any clinical and laboratory findings supporting the diagnosis, and treatment among the living patients.

Clinical usefulness of WT1 mRNA expression in bone marrow detected by a new WT1 mRNA assay kit for monitoring acute myeloid leukemia: a comparison with expression of WT1 mRNA in peripheral blood.

We have previously shown the clinical usefulness of Wilms' tumor 1 gene (WT1) mRNA expression in peripheral blood (PB) as a minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring marker in 191 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients using the WT1 mRNA assay kit "Otsuka" (Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; "former kit").

Clinical evaluation of WT1 mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood and bone marrow in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

A study to evaluate WT1 mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow aspirate (BM) was conducted in 172 patients, including 115 with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), in Japan. The level of WT1 mRNA expression was evaluated according to the French-American-British (FAB) and World Health Organization (WHO) classifications (2001, 2008) and using the International Prognostic Scoring System and the WHO Prognostic Scoring System scales. WT1 mRNA expression levels in PB and BM were well correlated (r = 0.

Differences in blast immunophenotypes among disease types in myelodysplastic syndromes: a multicenter validation study.

We conducted a multicenter, flow cytometry study to validate differences in immunophenotypes among disease types in melodysplastic syndromes (MDS). The data obtained from 115 patients were combined into three groups according to disease grade, i.e.

A multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled late-phase II/III study of recombinant human interleukin 11 in acute myelogenous leukemia.

To investigate the efficacy of using recombinant human interleukin 11 (rhIL-11) to reduce the need for platelet transfusions, we performed a randomized, double-blind phase II/III study with 110 acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) patients in the first complete remission. Following chemotherapy patients were subcutaneously administered either placebo (n=37) or rhIL-11 at a dose of 25 microg/kg (n=37) or 50 microg/kg (n=36). rhIL-11 administration was well tolerated.

Stable response after administration of stem cell factor combined with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in aplastic anemia.

We report successful treatment with 25 microg/kg of recombinant methionyl human stem cell factor (SCF) combined with 400 microg/m2 of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in 2 patients with aplastic anemia refractory to immunosuppressive therapy. In one patient, hemoglobin levels increased from 6.4 g/dL to 11.

[Clinical course of the disease and the level of WT1 mRNA in 191 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML): joint research by 23 institutions in Japan].

We evaluated the clinical course of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and the levels of WT1 mRNA in 191 AML patients. Of 114 previously untreated patients with AML, 107 cases were positive for WT1 mRNA (93.9% : 107/114).

Improved gene expression in resting macrophages using an oligopeptide derived from Vpr of human immunodeficiency virus type-1.

Vpr, an accessory gene product of human immunodeficiency virus type-1, is thought to transport a viral DNA from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in resting macrophages. Previously, we reported that a peptide encompassing amino acids 52-78 of Vpr (C45D18) promotes the nuclear trafficking of recombinant proteins that are conjugated with C45D18. Here, we present evidence that C45D18, when conjugated with a six-branched cationic polymer of poly(N,N-dimethylaminopropylacrylamide)-block-oligo(4-aminostyrene) (SV: star vector), facilitates gene expression in resting macrophages.

[An early phase II clinical study of YM 294 (rhlL-11) in patients with solid tumors and malignant lymphoma].

An early phase II study was conducted to examine the efficacy and safety of YM 294 on chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia in patients with solid tumors and malignant lymphoma. The response rates which were judged as having good or excellent efficacy by the investigators were 66.7% in all groups with 25 microg/kg or more, and the increase in nadir platelet counts and decrease in platelet transfusions were observed.

[A clinical study of YM 294 (rhlL-11) in patients with gynecologic cancer].

YM 294 was administered for chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia in patients with gynecologic cancer at a dose of 50 microg/kg in order to examine the efficacy and safety by a randomized trial, using the non-treatment observation group as a control. Increase in the nadir platelet counts as well as shortening of the days to return the platelet number to>100,000/ microl were significantly higher in the 50 microg/kg groups, in comparison with the non-treatment observation group. The major adverse drug reactions observed in the 50 microg/kg groups were edema, erythema of injection site, and fever.

Long-term results of a multicenter randomized, comparative trial of modified CHOP versus THP-COP versus THP-COPE regimens in elderly patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

In treating elderly non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients, it is particularly important to use drugs that have a low incidence of adverse events and high efficacy. In this multicenter study, THP (pirarubicin)-COP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisolone) was compared to two thirds dosage of full CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone) regimen with regard to both adverse events and efficacy. For a third group, etoposide (E) was added to the THP-COP regimen (THP-COPE) in order to achieve high dose-intensity.

Nuclear trafficking of macromolecules by an oligopeptide derived from Vpr of human immunodeficiency virus type-1.

Vpr, an accessory gene product of HIV-1, is incorporated into cells when added to the culture medium. Via such function Vpr has been shown to transduce a protein into cells that is expressed as a chimeric protein with Vpr. The domain required for protein transduction, however, remained to be clarified.

Analysis of gene expression profiles in an imatinib-resistant cell line, KCL22/SR.

The BCR/ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib, has shown substantial effects in blast crises of chronic myelogenous leukemia. However, most patients relapse after an initial clinical response, indicating that drug resistance is a major problem for patients being treated with imatinib. In this study, we generated a new imatinib-resistant BCR/ABL-positive cell line, KCL22/SR.

Clinical usefulness of macrophage colony-stimulating factor for ovarian cancers: Long-term prognosis after five years.

We performed a randomized double blind study between 1992 and 1995 in which 214 patients with FIGO stage I to III ovarian cancers received administration of 10(6) units (low dose group) or 8x10(6) units (high dose group) of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) after cyclophosphamide/adriamycin/cisplatin (CAP) therapy. The period required to finish a set of intensive chemotherapy, which was the primary endpoint, was significantly shortened (p=0.0004), and the incidence of febrile neutropenia significantly decreased (p=0.

Efficacy of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in the treatment of acute myelogenous leukaemia: a multicentre randomized study.

To investigate the efficacy and safety of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia, a multicentre randomized study was performed. From October 1993 to September 1996, 270 patients with newly diagnosed acute myelogenous leukaemia were randomized to G-CSF or control groups after remission induction therapy. The G-CSF group received G-CSF (Filgrastim) from 48 h after the completing chemotherapy until the absolute neutrophil count exceeded 1.

Effect of human urinary macrophage colony-stimulating factor on the immune functions and the blood cell counts in patients with ovarian carcinoma receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy.

The present study investigated the effect of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) on the immune functions and blood cell counts of patients with ovarian carcinoma receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy (CTX). Seventy-five consecutive patients with white blood cell counts less than 3,000/microl after CTX were randomly assigned to receive either M-CSF (human urinary macrophage colony-stimulating factor: hM-CSF, 8x106 U as 7-day intravenous infusions) or no treatment. Immune assays in addition to routine peripheral blood examinations were performed on these patients at various time points.

Tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins in primary human myeloid leukemic cells stimulated by macrophage colony-stimulating factor: analysis by disease type and comparison with normal human hematopoietic cells.

We investigated tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins in primary human leukemic cells stimulated by macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) in 60 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 5 patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia and compared the findings for leukemic cells with those of normal human monocytes and bone marrow immature hematopoietic cells. M-CSF induced tyrosine phosphorylation of p140-200, p110, p60, p44, and p42 frequently, and that of p95 and p55 less frequently, in primary myeloid leukemic cells, whereas M-CSF-induced phosphorylation of proteins was not detected in the normal human hematopoietic cells tested. Of these phosphoproteins, p140-200 was phosphorylated in all patients who responded to M-CSF and was considered to be almost identical to Fms, a product of the c-fms proto-oncogene.

CREB antisense oligonucleotides induce non-apoptotic cell death in proliferating leukemia cells, but not normal hematopoietic cells, by a bizarre non-antisense mechanism.

We report that antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxyribonucleotides (PS-ODNs) against cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) induce the death of human leukemia cell lines including HL-60, Kasumi-1 and K562, OCI-AML1a and also primary leukemia cells isolated from patients with acute myelocytic leukemia and chronic myelocytic leukemia in blastic crisis. In contrast, normal human bone marrow CD34+ cells and normal peripheral blood lymphocytes were resistant to the antisense-mediated cell death. We found that antisense-treated HL-60 cells had prominent nuclear fragmentations but lacked apoptotic features including internucleosomal DNA cleavage and TUNEL positivity.