Safety and Efficacy of Carbon-Ion Radiotherapy for Elderly Patients with High-Risk Prostate Cancer.

Carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) is a high-dose intensive treatment, whose safety and efficacy have been proven for prostate cancer. This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of CIRT in elderly patients with prostate cancer. Patients aged 75 years or above at the initiation of CIRT were designated as the elderly group, and younger than 75 years as the young group.

The clinical relative biological effectiveness and prostate-specific antigen kinetics of carbon-ion radiotherapy in low-risk prostate cancer.

Background: To evaluate the clinical relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of carbon-ion radiotherapy (C-ion RT) for prostate cancer.

Methods: The records of 262 patients with low-risk prostate cancer (median age, 65 [47-80] years) treated with C-ion RT at QST Hospital, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology in Japan during 2000-2018 were reviewed retrospectively. Four different protocol outcomes and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) responses were evaluated.

Clinical advantage and outcomes of computed tomography-based transvaginal hybrid brachytherapy performed only by sedation without general or saddle block anesthesia.

Background: Three-dimensional image-guided brachytherapy is the standard of care in cervical cancer radiotherapy. In addition, the usefulness of the so-called "hybrid brachytherapy (HBT)" has been reported, which involves the addition of needle applicators to conventional intracavitary brachytherapy for interstitial irradiation.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of CT-based HBT consisting of transvaginal insertion of needle applicators (CT-based transvaginal HBT) and only intravenous sedation without general or saddle block anesthesia.

The Risk Factors for Radiation Pneumonitis After Single-Fraction Carbon-Ion Radiotherapy for Lung Cancer or Metastasis.

There are no studies on the risk factors of radiation pneumonitis (RP) after carbon-ion radiotherapy at a dose of 50 Gy (relative biological effectiveness (RBE)) in a single fraction. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with RP after radiotherapy, including dose-volume parameters. Ninety-eight patients without a history of thoracic radiotherapy who underwent treatment for solitary lung tumors between July 2013 and April 2016 were retrospectively analyzed.

Long-term clinical outcomes after 12-fractionated carbon-ion radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer.

There are no clinical reports of long-term follow-up after carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) using a dose of 51.6 Gy (relative biological effectiveness [RBE]) in 12 fractions for localized prostate cancer, or of a comparison of clinical outcomes between passive and scanning beam irradiation. A total of 256 patients with localized prostate cancer who received CIRT at a dose of 51.

Comparison of CT-based and MRI-based high-risk clinical target volumes in image guided-brachytherapy for cervical cancer, referencing recommendations from the Japanese Radiation Oncology Study Group (JROSG) and consensus statement guidelines from the Groupe Européen de Curiethérapie-European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (GEC ESTRO).

Purpose: The Working Group of the Gynecological Tumor Committee of the Japanese Radiation Oncology Study Group (JROSG) published recommendations for contouring high-risk clinical target volumes (HR-CTV) on CT for 3-dimentional image-guided brachytherapy for cervical cancer. The purpose of this study was to compare HR-CTV delineated on CT, referencing recommendations from JROSG, with HR-CTV delineated on MRI, referencing consensus guidelines from the Groupe Européen de Curiethérapie-European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (GEC ESTRO).

Material And Methods: Fourteen patients were evaluated.

Radiation Therapy for Extrapelvic Lymph Node Recurrence After Curative Treatment for Cervical Cancer.

Background/aim: To investigate outcomes of patients with cervical cancer who received radiation therapy for extrapelvic lymph node recurrence after initial pelvic radiotherapy.

Patients And Methods: The treatment charts of 20 patients were retrospectively reviewed, and factors influencing patient's prognosis were statistically analyzed.

Results: The three-year in-field tumor control rate was 55% and overall survival (OS) at 2, 3, and 5 years was 55%, 45%, and 37.

Function of essential chloride and arginine residue in nucleotide binding to vesicular nucleotide transporter.

Vesicular nucleotide transporter (VNUT) plays a key role in purinergic signalling through its ability to transport nucleotides. VNUT belongs to the SLC17 family, which includes vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) and Type I Na+/phosphate cotransporters. All of these transporters exhibit membrane potential and Cl--dependent organic anion transport activity and have essential arginine in the transmembrane region.

Purification and reconstitution of polyspecific H/organic cation antiporter human MATE1.

Human MATE1 (multidrug and toxin extrusion 1, hMATE1) is a H/organic cation (OC) exchanger responsible for the final step of toxic organic cation excretion in the kidney and liver. To investigate the mechanism of transport, we have established an in vitro assay procedure that includes its expression in insect cells, solubilization with octyl glucoside, purification, and reconstitution into liposomes. The resultant proteoliposomes containing hMATE1 as the sole protein component took up radiolabeled tetraethylammonium (TEA) in a ∆pH-dependent and electroneutral fashion.

Preliminary results of a new workflow for MRI/CT-based image-guided brachytherapy in cervical carcinoma.

Purpose: We propose a method of image-guided brachytherapy (IGBT) that combines MRI-based target volume delineation for the first fraction with CT datasets of subsequent fractions, using an automatic, applicator-based co-registration, and report our preliminary experience.

Materials And Methods: The MRI of the first fraction was used for the first brachytherapy planning. For each subsequent brachytherapy fraction, after the same applicator insertion, a new CT scan with the applicator in place was obtained.

Anti-influenza activity of c60 fullerene derivatives.

The H1N1 influenza A virus, which originated in swine, caused a global pandemic in 2009, and the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus has also caused epidemics in Southeast Asia in recent years. Thus, the threat from influenza A remains a serious global health issue, and novel drugs that target these viruses are highly desirable. Influenza A RNA polymerase consists of the PA, PB1, and PB2 subunits, and the N-terminal domain of the PA subunit demonstrates endonuclease activity.

Anti-influenza activity of marchantins, macrocyclic bisbibenzyls contained in liverworts.

The H1N1 influenza A virus of swine-origin caused pandemics throughout the world in 2009 and the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus has also caused epidemics in Southeast Asia in recent years. The threat of influenza A thus remains a serious global health issue and novel drugs that target these viruses are highly desirable. Influenza A possesses an endonuclease within its RNA polymerase which comprises PA, PB1 and PB2 subunits.

Anti-influenza activity of phenethylphenylphthalimide analogs derived from thalidomide.

Swine-origin influenza A virus has caused pandemics throughout the world and influenza A is regarded as a serious global health issue. Hence, novel drugs that will target these viruses are very desirable. Influenza A expresses an RNA polymerase essential for its transcription and replication which comprises PA, PB1, and PB2 subunits.

Green tea catechins inhibit the endonuclease activity of influenza A virus RNA polymerase.

The influenza A RNA polymerase possesses endonuclease activity to digest the host mRNA. Thus this endonuclease domain can be a target of anti-influenza A virus drug. Here we report that green tea catechins inhibit this viral endonuclease activity and that their galloyl group is important for their function.