Publications by authors named "Takuma Kato"

Background: In Japan, since 2014, new treatments such as androgen receptor signaling inhibitors and cabazitaxel have become applicable for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), leading to dramatic changes in treatment options.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of recent advancements in treatment options on the overall survival (OS) of patients diagnosed with de novo metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) in Japan.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 2450 Japanese men diagnosed with de novo mCSPC between 2008 and 2018.

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Background: The development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies for solid tumors has attracted considerable attention, yet their clinical efficacy remains limited. Therefore, various efforts have been made to improve the efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy. As one promising strategy, incorporating the T-cell receptor (TCR) machinery into CAR structures has been reported to improve the efficacy of CAR-T cells in studies using conventional CARs targeting such as EGFR.

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We present a case of a 53-year-old man who was admitted with lower back pain and bilateral lower limb weakness. Neurologically, he exhibited paralysis of both lower limbs, complete sensory loss below the 10th thoracic spinal level, and bladder and rectal dysfunction. Spinal MRI revealed intramedullary high-signal lesions extending from the 10th vertebral level to the conus medullaris on diffusion-weighted and T-weighted images.

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Background: Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is commonly performed to treat internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis;however, it is associated with high recurrence rates. The treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) following CAS poses several challenges, and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is a possible treatment option. Scoring balloons used in the cardiovascular field can prevent slipping and plaque incisions during balloon expansion;however, their efficacy in treating cervical ICA ISR remains uncertain.

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Conformational freedom-restricted peptides, such as stapled peptides, play a crucial role in the advancement of functional peptide development. We synthesized stapled octapeptides using α-carbocyclic α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids, particularly 3-allyloxy-1-aminocyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid, as the crosslink motifs. The organocatalytic capabilities of the synthesized stapled peptides were assessed in an asymmetric nucleophilic epoxidation reaction because the catalytic activities are known to be proportional to α-helicity.

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The cyclic peptide (Val-Leu-Leu-d-Phe-Pro) (peptide ) was specifically designed for structural chemistry investigations, drawing inspiration from Gramicidin S (GS). Previous studies have shown that Pro residues within adopt a down-puckering conformation of the pyrrolidine ring. By incorporating fluoride-Pro with 4-/-isomers into , an up-puckering conformation was successfully induced.

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Background And Objective: There is no consensus on de-escalation of monitoring during active surveillance (AS) for prostate cancer (PCa). Our objective was to determine clinical criteria that can be used in decisions to reduce the intensity of AS monitoring.

Methods: The global prospective AS cohort from the Global Action Plan prostate cancer AS consortium was retrospectively analyzed.

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Background: Active surveillance for prostate cancer was initiated in the early 2000s. We assessed the long-term outcomes of active surveillance in Japan.

Methods: This multicenter prospective observational cohort study enrolled men aged 50-80 years with stage cT1cN0M0 prostate cancer in 2002 and 2003.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A total of 383 patients were analyzed, revealing that those with persistent PSA levels post-surgery had significantly shorter castration resistance-free survival (CRFS) and metastasis-free survival (MFS) compared to those with non-persistent levels.
  • * The findings suggest that stratifying patients by PSA levels can help tailor postoperative treatment, with patients experiencing better outcomes when receiving a combination of androgen deprivation therapy and radiotherapy if their PSA levels are high.
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  • A multicenter study in Japan analyzed 515 patients with nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) to determine the best PSA doubling time (PSADT) cut-off for prognosis.
  • The study found that a PSADT of less than 4.65 months is a significant predictor for overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS), indicating worse outcomes.
  • Patients receiving novel hormonal therapy (NHT) had better progression-free survival (PFS) compared to those on older treatments, highlighting the benefits of newer treatment options.
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Objective: To report the outcomes of repeat biopsies, metastasis and survival in the Prostate Cancer Research International: Active Surveillance (PRIAS)-JAPAN study, a prospective observational study for Japanese patients, initiated in 2010.

Patients And Methods: At the beginning, inclusion criteria were initially low-risk patients, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density (PSAD) <0.2, and ≤2 positive biopsy cores.

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Objective: Infection after carotid artery stenting (CAS) is rare. We report two dialysis cases of delayed stent infection associated with a carotid dual-layer stent (DLS), which occurred several months after deployment of the stent.

Case Presentations: : A 74-year-old man receiving dialysis underwent CAS with DLS.

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  • The study aimed to evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) and urologists' treatment practices.
  • Researchers analyzed medical records of 208 patients who underwent RARP between 2017 and 2022, comparing data from pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, focusing on factors like preoperative hormone therapy, waiting times, and cancer pathology.
  • Results showed a significant increase in preoperative androgen deprivation therapy during the pandemic, shorter waiting periods for surgery, and a shift towards treating more high-risk patients, but no overall negative impact on cancer outcomes or patients' quality of life.
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Cancer immunotherapy is a type of cancer therapy utilizing the immune system to fight against tumors [...

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Asia is at a critical juncture of health development. The population is aging and shrinking. At the same time, the economy is developing rapidly.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The surgery performed was a retroperitoneal scopic ureteral resection along with a partial cystectomy, which involved the innovative use of a fluorescent ureteral catheter for better identification of the ureter during the procedure.
  • * The conclusion highlights that the fluorescent ureteral catheter is a valuable tool in laparoscopic surgeries, particularly for cases where locating the ureter is challenging, as demonstrated in this patient's case.
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  • - The study investigates the effects of enfortumab vedotin, a new treatment for urothelial cancer, focusing on how peripheral neuropathy impacts its effectiveness and if early nerve changes are linked to neuropathy onset.
  • - In a trial involving 34 patients with advanced bladder cancer who had not responded to previous therapies, the treatment showed promising results with a 52.9% overall response rate and significant survival benefits.
  • - Peripheral neuropathy was present in 12.5% of patients, but interestingly, those affected had better response rates compared to those without neuropathy; nerve studies showed that sensory nerves were more impacted, particularly the sural nerve.
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  • This study created a prognostic model to predict disease recurrence in patients with lymph node involvement but no ongoing PSA levels.
  • Researchers analyzed data from 231 patients who underwent surgery between 2006 and 2019, identifying key factors affecting recurrence-free survival (RFS).
  • The model, which includes parameters like initial PSA level and surgical margin status, is said to aid in treatment discussions with patients.
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  • The study aimed to explore how frailty impacts cancer-related fatigue and quality of life in prostate cancer patients, analyzing 108 out of 254 outpatients.
  • Results showed a 63% prevalence of frailty, with older age linked to greater frailty severity but not to the levels of fatigue.
  • Patients with frailty experienced significantly higher fatigue and poorer quality of life compared to those without frailty, emphasizing the need to consider frailty in treatment decisions, especially for older patients.
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Despite the revolutionary success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T therapy for hematological malignancies, successful CAR-T therapies for solid tumors remain limited. One major obstacle is the scarcity of tumor-specific cell-surface molecules. One potential solution to overcome this barrier is to utilize antibodies that recognize peptide/major histocompatibility complex (MHCs) in a T cell receptor (TCR)-like fashion, allowing CAR-T cells to recognize intracellular tumor antigens.

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The Phe-incorporated cyclic peptide [cyclo(-Phe-oxazoline-d-Val-thiazole-Ile-oxazoline-d-Val-thiazole-)] is in a conformational equilibrium between square and folded forms in solution. In the folded form, a CH⋯π interaction between the Phe aromatic ring and the Oxz methyl group is observed. We endeavored to control the local conformation and thus modulate the CH⋯π interaction and flexibility of the Phe side chain by controlling the electronic substituent effects at the 4-position of the aromatic ring of the Phe residue.

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Article Synopsis
  • - CAR-T therapy shows great promise for treating blood cancers but struggles with solid tumors due to unique challenges related to tumor microenvironments.
  • - This study utilized a mouse model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) to investigate how CAR-T cells behave in solid tumors, revealing that these cells can actually persist and accumulate in PDAC tissues.
  • - Despite their presence, CAR-T cells exhibited a gradual loss of effectiveness against the tumor over time, linked to changes in specific proteins associated with cell metabolism and function.
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Although deuterium incorporation into pharmaceutical drugs is an attractive way to expand drug modalities, their physicochemical properties have not been sufficiently examined. This study focuses on examining the changes in physicochemical properties between flurbiprofen (FP) and flurbiprofen- (FP-), which was successfully prepared by direct and multiple H/D exchange reactions at the eight aromatic C-H bonds of FP. Although the effect of deuterium incorporation was not observed between the crystal structures of FP and FP-, the melting point and heat of fusion of FP- were lower than those of FP.

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We have previously reported that (l-Leu-d-Leu-Aib-l-Leu-d-Leu-Aib) (), a cyclic hexapeptide consisting of heterochiral l-Leu and d-Leu (l-Leu-d-Leu) residues with achiral 2-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) residues, forms a figure-8 conformation. In this study, we newly designed (l-Leu-d-Leu-Aib-d-Leu-l-Leu-Aib)+ (), an epimer of , and examined the conformational differences between and by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Peptide formed a planar cyclic conformation with an antiparallel β-sheet hydrogen-bonding pattern.

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