203 results match your criteria: "Research Center for Medical Science[Affiliation]"

Tumor development often requires cellular adaptation to a unique, high metabolic state; however, the molecular mechanisms that drive such metabolic changes in TFE3-rearranged renal cell carcinoma (TFE3-RCC) remain poorly understood. TFE3-RCC, a rare subtype of RCC, is defined by the formation of chimeric proteins involving the transcription factor TFE3. In this study, we analyzed cell lines and genetically engineered mice, demonstrating that the expression of the chimeric protein PRCC-TFE3 induced a hypoxia-related signature by transcriptionally upregulating HIF1α and HIF2α.

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Background: This study examined the relationship between the disciplinary diversity of research teams and research output (RO) in allergy and immunology programs funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States, Medical Research Council (MRC) in the United Kingdom, and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Methods: Using a dataset containing 1243, 3645, and 1468 articles funded by the NIH, MRC, and JSPS, respectively, we analyzed the correlation between disciplinary diversity and RO in allergy and immunology programs that received grants from 2017 to 2021. Diversity was measured using All Science Journal Classification codes counts, Shannon-Wiener index, and newly developed Omnidisciplinary index (o-index).

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Aberrant immune responses to viral pathogens contribute to pathogenesis, but our understanding of pathological immune responses caused by viruses within the human virome, especially at a population scale, remains limited. We analyzed whole-genome sequencing datasets of 6,321 Japanese individuals, including patients with autoimmune diseases (psoriasis vulgaris, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) or multiple sclerosis) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), or healthy controls. We systematically quantified two constituents of the blood DNA virome, endogenous HHV-6 (eHHV-6) and anellovirus.

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Frailty and fractures are closely associated with adverse clinical outcomes. This retrospective study investigated the prognostic impact of frailty, prevalent fractures, and the coexistence of both in patients with cirrhosis. Frailty was defined according to the Fried frailty phenotype criteria: weight loss, weakness, exhaustion, slowness, and low physical activity.

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-rearranged Renal Cell Carcinoma (TFE3-RCC) is an aggressive subtype of RCC characterized by Xp11.2 rearrangement, leading to TFE3 fusion proteins with oncogenic potential. Despite advances in understanding its molecular biology, effective therapies for advanced cases remain elusive.

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Background: Allergic diseases are major causes of morbidity in both developed and developing countries and represent a global burden on health care systems. Allergic sensitization is defined as the production of IgE specific to common environmental allergens and is an important indicator in the assessment of allergic diseases.

Objective: We sought to clarify the genetic basis of allergic sensitization.

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Article Synopsis
  • Sarcopenia and osteoporosis negatively affect patients with chronic liver disease (CLD), and this study compares two methods for assessing muscle mass: bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).
  • The study included 173 patients and found strong correlation and agreement between ASMI values obtained from BIA and DXA for diagnosing sarcopenia and osteosarcopenia.
  • It concludes that DXA is a valuable tool for a thorough assessment of muscle and bone health in CLD patients, highlighting the need for effective diagnostics in managing these conditions.
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Sex differences in the functional morphology of coronary arteries in embryonic mice.

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol

December 2024

Department of Bio-informational Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan.

Sex differences in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease manifest across multiple life stages. These differences are associated with variations in cardiovascular morphology and function between the sexes. Although estrogens and sex hormones are associated with sex differences in cardiovascular diseases in reproductive adults, the molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular sex differences during development are largely unknown.

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  • Patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) often experience malnutrition and increased risk of bone diseases, which can lead to worse health outcomes.
  • This study included 209 CLD patients and found that those in the "nutrition-related risk" group had a higher prevalence of osteoporosis compared to those without such risk.
  • The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) was determined to be a strong predictor for osteoporosis and fracture risk, indicating its potential use as an important tool for managing bone health in these patients.
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Background: Hay fever (HF) presents with various symptoms, including allergic conjunctivitis and rhinitis, and requires cross-organ treatment. This study assessed the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on HF treatment trends.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the JMDC database collected between January 2018 and May 2021.

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The use of metagenomic and untargeted metabolomics in the analysis of the effects of the Lycium barbarum glycopeptide on allergic airway inflammation induced by Artemesia annua pollen.

J Ethnopharmacol

January 2025

School of Basic Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China; Ningxia Institute of Medical Science, Yinchuan, China; Research Center for Medical Science and Technology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the potential of Lycium barbarum L. glycopeptide (LbGP) to combat allergic airway inflammation (AAI) induced by Artemisia annua L. pollen, focusing on its effects on intestinal flora and metabolites.
  • LbGP showed effectiveness in reducing AAI symptoms, restoring immune balance by decreasing certain immune cells and altering gut microbiota composition in mice.
  • Results indicated that metabolic pathways related to taurine, bile acids, and pyrimidine were affected by LbGP treatment, suggesting a link between gut bacteria, metabolites, and the alleviation of AAI.
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Radiomics-based machine learning model to phenotype hip involvement in ankylosing spondylitis: a pilot study.

Front Immunol

September 2024

Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.

Objectives: Hip involvement is an important reason of disability in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Unveiling the potential phenotype of hip involvement in AS remains an unmet need to understand its biological mechanisms and improve clinical decision-making. Radiomics, a promising quantitative image analysis method that had been successfully used to describe the phenotype of a wide variety of diseases, while it was less reported in AS.

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  • There is a growing need for allergy care education that caters to both specialists and non-specialists in the medical field, as existing research on this topic is limited.
  • The ENGAGE-TF developed a virtual educational program called 'Outreach Lectures,' with support from the Japanese Society of Allergology, which was promoted widely and included a survey for feedback.
  • Results showed strong satisfaction among participants, especially non-specialist physicians, indicating a significant demand for allergy education in primary care, highlighting the importance of ongoing evaluation of educational effectiveness.
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[STATE-OF-THE-ART OF GLOBAL START-UP INVESTMENT FOR ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY 2022].

Arerugi

May 2024

Empowering Next Generation Allergist/immunologist toward Global Excellence Task Force.

Background: In 2022, the "New Capitalism Grand Design and Implementation Plan" was adopted in Japan, emphasizing the promotion and environmental development of startups. Given this context, an investigation into the startup and investment landscape in the allergy sector, both domestically and internationally, becomes imperative.

Methods: We analyzed 156 allergy-related startups from Japan, the US, and Europe from 2010 to 2021.

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  • The study investigates how esophageal varices change in patients with cirrhosis after achieving sustained virological response (SVR) using direct-acting antivirals (DAAs).
  • 243 patients were examined before and after DAA treatment, revealing that 14.8% experienced worsened varices post-SVR and 11.9% showed improvement.
  • The ALBI score at SVR12 was identified as a significant predictor for both worsening varices and the development of new varices, with specific cut-off values highlighting the risk.
  • Despite achieving SVR, patients with high ALBI scores remain at risk for negative changes in their esophageal varices.
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Aim: An association between hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) kinetics and hepatocarcinogenesis during nucleoside (t)id analog (NA) treatment has recently been reported. HBcrAg kinetics and factors associated with HBcrAg response during tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) administration remain unclear. In this multicenter retrospective study, we aimed to clarify the efficacy and safety of TAF in treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B, focusing on the reduction in HBcrAg levels.

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Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for liver disease comorbidity among older adults in eastern, central, and western China, and explored binary, ternary and quaternary co-morbid co-causal patterns of liver disease within a health ecological model.

Method: Basic information from 9,763 older adults was analyzed using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). LASSO regression was employed to identify significant predictors in eastern, central, and western China.

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Background And Aim: This study aimed to clarify the efficacy and safety of 48-week pemafibrate treatment in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) complicated by dyslipidemia.

Methods: A total of 110 patients diagnosed with MASLD complicated by dyslipidemia received pemafibrate at a dose of 0.1 mg twice daily for 48 weeks.

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Article Synopsis
  • Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is characterized by damage to podocytes, which are specialized kidney cells essential for filtering blood.
  • A specific protein kinase, ROCK2, was found to be activated in both FSGS mice and cultured podocytes exposed to adriamycin (ADR), a drug that induces FSGS.
  • Mice with a knockout of the ROCK2 gene in podocytes showed resistance to kidney damage, and using a ROCK2 inhibitor improved podocyte health and reduced kidney scarring, suggesting that targeting ROCK2 could be a promising treatment for FSGS.
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Sarcopenia frequently and progressively occurs in patients with chronic liver disease. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between vitamin D levels and muscle mass loss. A total of 166 patients with chronic liver disease were enrolled in this study.

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Background: Disturbance of mucociliary clearance is an important factor in the pathogenesis of asthma. We hypothesized that common variants in genes responsible for ciliary function may contribute to the development of asthma with certain phenotypes.

Methods: Three independent adult Japanese populations (including a total of 1,158 patients with asthma and 2,203 non-asthmatic healthy participants) were studied.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study highlights the limitations of traditional liver cancer markers, α-fetoprotein (AFP) and des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP), particularly in early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and in patients with liver issues.
  • Researchers evaluated serum protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) as a potential new biomarker for HCC diagnosis and found it to have high sensitivity and specificity, even in early stages of the disease.
  • PKCδ levels remained consistent regardless of hepatitis C virus (HCV) status, liver injury, or warfarin treatment, making it a promising alternative to conventional markers for more accurate HCC detection.
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Association of chronic liver disease with bone diseases and muscle weakness.

J Bone Miner Metab

July 2024

Project Research Units, Research Center for Medical Science, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-8461, Japan.

The liver is a vital organ involved in nutrient metabolism, hormone regulation, immunity, cytokine production, and gut homeostasis. Impairment in liver function can result in malnutrition, chronic inflammation, decreased anabolic hormone levels, and dysbiosis. These conditions eventually cause an imbalance in osteoblast and osteoclast activities, resulting in bone loss.

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Background: HBV DNA integration into the host genome is frequently found in HBV-associated HCC tissues and is associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. Multiple detection methods, including hybrid capture-sequencing, have identified integration sites and provided clinical implications; however, each has advantages and disadvantages concerning sensitivity, cost, and throughput. Therefore, methods that can comprehensively and cost-effectively detect integration sites with high sensitivity are required.

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Hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes chronic hepatitis in humans, and current antiviral therapies rarely treat viral infections. To improve the treatment efficacy, novel therapeutic agents, especially those with different mechanisms of action, need to be developed for use in combination with the current antivirals. Here, we isolated new anti-HBV compounds, named catenulopyrizomicins A-C, from the fermentation broth of rare actinomycete Catenuloplanes sp.

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