Papers - MURASE Kazuyuki

[Treatment Outcomes of Adult-Onset Ewing Sarcoma: A Single-Center Retrospective Study of Five Cases].

Kazuyuki Murase, Kohichi Takada, Yusuke Kamihara, Makoto Usami, Masahiro Yoshida, Ayumi Tatekoshi, Akari Hashimoto, Yohei Arihara, Naotaka Hayasaka, Shogo Miura, Satoshi Iyama, Tsutomu Sato, Yasushi Sato, Koji Miyanishi, Masayoshi Kobune, Makoto Emori, Mitsunori Kaya, Toshihiko Yamashita, Shintaro Sugita, Tadashi Hasegawa, Junji Kato

Gan to kagaku ryoho. Cancer & chemotherapy   43 ( 8 ) 1015 - 8  2016.08  [Refereed]  [Domestic journal]

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UNLABELLED: We report the treatment outcomes of 5 cases of adult-onset Ewing sarcoma(ES)managed between 2011 and 2014. We examined prognostic factors including the primary lesion, tumor size, metastatic status, and serum LDH levels. RESULTS: The locations of the primary lesions included the limbs in 1 case and the trunk in 4; the cases in the trunk had a worse prognosis than that in the limbs. Tumor size was greater than 8 cm in only 1 patient, who also displayed evidence of metastases at presentation and high LDH levels. All the patients received chemotherapy consisting of alternating vincristine, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide(VDC)and etoposide and ifosfamide(IE). Surgery was selected for the treatment of 4 patients, and radiotherapy was administered to 1 patient for local treatment of the tumor. A median follow-up duration of 31.6 months revealed the 2-year overall survival rate and progression-free survival rate to be 80.0%. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis of patients with adult-onset ES is poor; however, combined modality therapy, including VDC-IE, was demonstrated to improve the outcome of patients in the present study. Nevertheless, the patient with tumor size exceeding 8 cm, metastasis, and high LDH levels, relapsed 1 year after treatment, as reported previously. Further investigation is required to clarify the factors affecting prognosis in adults, and to develop effective therapies for patients with a poor prognosis.

PubMed

肛門周囲の感覚障害で発症し、前立腺生検にて診断に至った血管内リンパ腫(IVL)の1例

齋藤 太郎, 中村 祐貴, 鈴木 秀一郎, 津田 笑子, 林 貴士, 齊藤 正樹, 久原 真, 川又 純, 下濱 俊, 村瀬 和幸, 高田 弘一

臨床神経学 ( (一社)日本神経学会 )  56 ( 6 ) 451 - 451  2016.06

Isoform D of vascular endothelial growth factor in systemic capillary leak syndrome: a case report.

Soushi Ibata, Tsutomu Sato, Kohichi Takada, Ayumi Tatekoshi, Akari Hashimoto, Yusuke Kamihara, Wataru Jomen, Hiroto Horiguchi, Kaoru Ono, Kazuyuki Murase, Satoshi Iyama, Koji Miyanishi, Yasushi Sato, Rishu Takimoto, Masayoshi Kobune, Junji Kato

Journal of medical case reports   10   125 - 125  2016.05  [Refereed]  [International journal]

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BACKGROUND: Systemic capillary leak syndrome is a rare condition characterized by episodic attacks of hypovolemia due to systemic capillary hyperpermeability, which results in profound hypotension and edema. Although the implication of vascular endothelial growth factor, angiopoietin-2, and C-X-C motif chemokine 10 has been suggested, the pathogenesis of systemic capillary leak syndrome remains unclear. In this report, we describe a case of systemic capillary leak syndrome in which serum isoform D of vascular endothelial growth factor was elevated. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of systemic capillary leak syndrome in which isoform D of vascular endothelial growth factor is suggested as the plausible biomarker. CASE PRESENTATION: A 41-year-old Japanese man was transferred to our emergency department. He was hypotensive, tachycardic, and edematous over the trunk and all four limbs. He received aggressive intravenous fluid therapy and underwent fasciotomy of the right forearm to prevent muscle necrosis. A diagnosis of systemic capillary leak syndrome was suspected. The presence of serum monoclonal immunoglobulin G and κ light chain supported this diagnosis. Prevention of hypotensive crises was unsuccessfully attempted with theophylline, intravenous immunoglobulin, high-dose dexamethasone, bortezomib, melphalan, and prednisolone; however, the patient's attacks dramatically disappeared after the introduction of thalidomide. The serum of the patient was stored soon after the onset of hypotensive crisis and analyzed to profile possible mediators responsible for the capillary leak. The concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor, angiopoietin-2, and C-X-C motif chemokine 10 were all within normal ranges. Meanwhile, we found that isoform D of vascular endothelial growth factor was elevated, which was normalized after the introduction of thalidomide. CONCLUSIONS: In our patient, isoform D of vascular endothelial growth factor (instead of vascular endothelial growth factor) may have been a causative factor of hypotensive crises, since isoform D contributes to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 signaling, which is the major mediator of the permeability-enhancing effects of vascular endothelial growth factor. We suggest the measurement of isoform D of vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with systemic capillary leak syndrome in whose serum vascular endothelial growth factor is not elevated.

DOI PubMed

Extracellular vesicle miR-7977 is involved in hematopoietic dysfunction of mesenchymal stromal cells via poly(rC) binding protein 1 reduction in myeloid neoplasms

Hiroto Horiguchi, Masayoshi Kobune, Shohei Kikuchi, Masahiro Yoshida, Masaki Murata, Kazuyuki Murase, Satoshi Iyama, Kohichi Takada, Tsutomu Sato, Kaoru Ono, Akari Hashimoto, Ayumi Tatekoshi, Yusuke Kamihara, Yutaka Kawano, Koji Miyanishi, Norimasa Sawada, Junji Kato

HAEMATOLOGICA ( FERRATA STORTI FOUNDATION )  101 ( 4 ) 437 - 447  2016.04  [Refereed]

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The failure of normal hematopoiesis is observed in myeloid neoplasms. However, the precise mechanisms governing the replacement of normal hematopoietic stem cells in their niche by myeloid neoplasm stem cells have not yet been clarified. Primary acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome cells induced aberrant expression of multiple hematopoietic factors including Jagged-1, stem cell factor and angiopoietin-1 in mesenchymal stem cells even in non-contact conditions, and this abnormality was reverted by extracellular vesicle inhibition. Importantly, the transfer of myeloid neoplasm-derived extracellular vesicles reduced the hematopoietic supportive capacity of mesenchymal stem cells. Analysis of extracellular vesicle microRNA indicated that several species, including miR-7977 from acute myeloid leukemia cells, were higher than those from normal CD34(+) cells. Remarkably, the copy number of miR-7977 in bone marrow interstitial fluid was elevated not only in acute myeloid leukemia, but also in myelodysplastic syndrome, as compared with lymphoma without bone marrow localization. The transfection of the miR-7977 mimic reduced the expression of the posttranscriptional regulator, poly(rC) binding protein 1, in mesenchymal stem cells. Moreover, the miR-7977 mimic induced aberrant reduction of hematopoietic growth factors in mesenchymal stem cells, resulting in decreased hematopoietic-supporting capacity of bone marrow CD34(+) cells. Furthermore, the reduction of hematopoietic growth factors including Jagged-1, stem cell factor and angiopoietin-1 were reverted by target protection of poly(rC) binding protein 1, suggesting that poly(rC) binding protein 1 could be involved in the stabilization of several growth factors. Thus, miR-7977 in extracellular vesicles may be a critical factor that induces failure of normal hematopoiesis via poly(rC) binding protein 1 suppression.

DOI PubMed

Narrow-Band Ultraviolet B Phototherapy Ameliorates Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease of the Intestine by Expansion of Regulatory T Cells.

Hashimoto A, Sato T, Iyama S, Yoshida M, Ibata S, Tatekoshi A, Kamihara Y, Horiguchi H, Murase K, Kawano Y, Takada K, Miyanishi K, Kobune M, Ichimiya S, Kato J

PloS one   11 ( 3 ) e0152823  2016.03  [Refereed]

DOI PubMed

RNAi-mediated gene silencing of ST6GalNAc I suppresses the metastatic potential in gastric cancer cells

Fumito Tamura, Yasushi Sato, Masahiro Hirakawa, Makoto Yoshida, Michihiro Ono, Takahiro Osuga, Yutaka Okagawa, Naoki Uemura, Yohei Arihara, Kazuyuki Murase, Yutaka Kawano, Satoshi Iyama, Kohichi Takada, Tsuyoshi Hayashi, Tsutomu Sato, Koji Miyanishi, Masayoshi Kobune, Rishu Takimoto, Junji Kato

GASTRIC CANCER ( SPRINGER )  19 ( 1 ) 85 - 97  2016.01  [Refereed]

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ST6GalNAc I is a sialyltransferase controlling the expression of sialyl-Tn antigen (STn), which is overexpressed in several epithelial cancers, including gastric cancer, and is highly correlated with cancer metastasis. However, the functional contribution of ST6GalNAc I to development or progression of gastric cancer remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of suppression of ST6GalNAc I on gastric cancer in vitro and in vivo. Gastric cancer cell lines were transfected with ST6GalNAc I siRNA and were examined by cell proliferation, migration, and invasion assays. We also evaluated the effect of ST6GalNAc I siRNA treatment in a peritoneal dissemination mouse model. The differences in mRNA levels of selected signaling molecules were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) arrays associated with tumor metastasis in MKN45 cells. The signal transducer and activator of transcription 5b (STAT5b) signaling pathways that reportedly regulate the insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were analyzed by Western blot. ST6GalNAc I siRNA inhibited gastric cancer cell growth, migration, and invasion in vitro. Furthermore, intraperitoneal administration of ST6GalNAc I siRNA- liposome significantly inhibited peritoneal dissemination and prolonged the survival of xenograft model mice with peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer. PCR array confirmed that suppression of ST6GalNAc I caused a significant reduction in expression of IGF-1 mRNA. Decreased IGF-1 expression in MKN45 cells treated with ST6GalNAc I siRNA was accompanied by reduced phosphorylation of STAT5b. ST6GalNAc I may regulate the gene expression of IGF-1 through STAT5b activation in gastric cancer cells and may be a potential target for treatment of metastasizing gastric cancer.

DOI PubMed

[Neurolymphomatosis of the sciatic nerve diagnosed by FDG-PET/CT].

Usami M, Murase K, Takada K, Iijima K, Yoshida M, Tatekoshi A, Hashimoto A, Iyama S, Sato T, Kobune M, Takimoto R, Kaya M, Yamashita T, Morita R, Hasegawa T, Kato J

[Rinsho ketsueki] The Japanese journal of clinical hematology   57 ( 1 ) 52 - 55  2016.01  [Refereed]

DOI PubMed

BAK is a predictive and prognostic biomarker for the therapeutic effect of docetaxel treatment in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Kubo T, Kawano Y, Himuro N, Sugita S, Sato Y, Ishikawa K, Takada K, Murase K, Miyanishi K, Sato T, Takimoto R, Kobune M, Nobuoka T, Hirata K, Takayama T, Mori M, Hasegawa T, Kato J

Gastric cancer : official journal of the International Gastric Cancer Association and the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association   19 ( 3 ) 827 - 838  2015.10  [Refereed]

DOI PubMed

Effect of duloxetine in Japanese patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: a pilot randomized trial

Yasuo Hirayama, Kunihiko Ishitani, Yasushi Sato, Satoshi Iyama, Kohichi Takada, Kazuyuki Murase, Hiroyuki Kuroda, Yasuhiro Nagamachi, Yuichi Konuma, Akihito Fujimi, Tamotsu Sagawa, Kaoru Ono, Hiroto Horiguchi, Takeshi Terui, Kazuhiko Koike, Toshiro Kusakabe, Tsutomu Sato, Rishu Takimoto, Masayoshi Kobune, Junji Kato

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY ( SPRINGER JAPAN KK )  20 ( 5 ) 866 - 871  2015.10  [Refereed]

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Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is difficult to manage. A phase III trial conducted in the United States demonstrated that duloxetine was effective for CIPN caused by taxane and platinum-based chemotherapy. No randomized trial of duloxetine for CIPN has been conducted in Japan. In this open-label, randomized, crossover study, eligible patients were randomized to Group A or Group B. Group A received duloxetine 20 mg/day orally for the first week and 40 mg/day for the next 3 weeks. Group B received vitamin B12 (VB12) 1.5 mg/day orally for 4 weeks. After a 2- to 4-week washout period, treatment was crossed over for another 4 weeks. The severity of numbness and pain was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS). Thirty-four patients were enrolled. Obvious decreases in the mean VAS scores for numbness and pain were observed for the periods of duloxetine administration. Significant differences were observed between the duloxetine-first (Group A) and the VB12-first (Group B) groups with respect to numbness (p = 0.03) and pain (p = 0.04) at 4 weeks after administration. Fatigue was observed in six of the 34 participants (17.6 %). Our data suggests that duloxetine has a beneficial effect on CIPN caused by oxaliplatin, paclitaxel, vincristine, or bortezomib in Japanese patients.

DOI PubMed

A dose-escalation study of oxaliplatin/capecitabine/irinotecan (XELOXIRI) and bevacizumab as a first-line therapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

Yasushi Sato, Hiroyuki Ohnuma, Masahiro Hirakawa, Minoru Takahashi, Takahiro Osuga, Yutaka Okagawa, Kazuyuki Murase, Kohichi Takada, Yutaka Kawano, Satoshi Iyama, Tsuyoshi Hayashi, Tsutomu Sato, Koji Miyanishi, Rishu Takimoto, Masayoshi Kobune, Kenji Okita, Toru Mizuguchi, Tomohisa Furuhata, Koichi Hirata, Junji Kato

CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY AND PHARMACOLOGY ( SPRINGER )  75 ( 3 ) 587 - 594  2015.03  [Refereed]

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The aim of this study was to determine the recommended dose (RD) of a triweekly capecitabine, oxaliplatin, irinotecan, and bevacizumab (XELOXIRI/bevacizumab) regimen that was easier to administer than FOLFOXIRI/bevacizumab, using capecitabine instead of 5-fuorouracil (5-FU), in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Patients received oxaliplatin (100 mg/m(2), day 1), capecitabine (1,700 mg/m(2) per day from day 2 to 15), irinotecan (100, 120, 150 mg/m(2) for dose levels 1, 2, 3, day 1), and bevacizumab (7.5 mg/kg, day 1), repeated every 3 weeks. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were assessed in the first two cycles to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Twelve patients received a median of 6.5 cycles of therapy (range 2-12). The DLT was grade 4 neutropenia, observed in one of six patients at dose level 2. The MTD was not reached at dose level 3. Therefore, the RD of irinotecan was defined as 150 mg/m(2). The most common grade a parts per thousand yen3 toxicities were neutropenia (41 %), anemia (17 %), diarrhea (8 %), and febrile neutropenia (8 %). The response rate and median progression-free survival were 83 % and 15 months, respectively. XELOXIRI/bevacizumab is a feasible regimen for patients with mCRC, neutropenia was the DLT, and the RD of irinotecan is 150 mg/m(2). The response rate observed is very promising and warrants further investigation.

DOI PubMed

Increased mitochondrial apoptotic priming of human regulatory T cells after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Kazuyuki Murase, Haesook T. Kim, O. R. Gregory Bascug, Yutaka Kawano, Jeremy Ryan, Ken-ichi Matsuoka, Matthew S. Davids, John Koreth, Vincent T. Ho, Corey Cutler, Philippe Armand, Edwin P. Alyea, Bruce R. Blazar, Joseph H. Antin, Robert J. Soiffer, Anthony Letai, Jerome Ritz

HAEMATOLOGICA ( FERRATA STORTI FOUNDATION )  99 ( 9 ) 1499 - 1508  2014.09  [Refereed]

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CD4 regulatory T cells play a critical role in establishment of immune tolerance and prevention of graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The recovery and maintenance of regulatory T cells is dependent on homeostatic factors including the generation of naive regulatory T cells from hematopoietic precursor cells, the proliferation and expansion of mature regulatory T cells, and the survival of regulatory T cells in vivo. In this study, quantitation of mitochondrial apoptotic priming was used to compare susceptibility of regulatory T cells, conventional CD4 T cells and CD8 T cells to intrinsic pathway apoptosis in 57 patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and 25 healthy donors. In healthy donors, regulatory T cells are more susceptible to mitochondrial priming than conventional T cells. Mitochondrial priming is increased after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in all T-cell subsets and particularly in patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease. Regulatory T cells express high levels of CD95 and are also more susceptible than conventional T cells to apoptosis through the extrinsic pathway. However, CD95 expression and extrinsic pathway apoptosis is not increased after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Decreased expression of BCL2 and increased expression of BIM, a mitochondrial cell death activator protein, in regulatory T cells contributes to increased mitochondrial priming in this T-cell subset but additional factors likely contribute to increased mitochondrial priming following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

DOI PubMed

Efficacy of Enteral Supplementation Enriched with Glutamine, Fiber, and Oligosaccharide on Mucosal Injury following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Iyama S, Sato T, Tatsumi H, Hashimoto A, Tatekoshi A, Kamihara Y, Horiguchi H, Ibata S, Ono K, Murase K, Takada K, Sato Y, Hayashi T, Miyanishi K, Akizuki E, Nobuoka T, Mizugichi T, Takimoto R, Kobune M, Hirata K, Kato J

Case reports in oncology ( 3 )  7 ( 3 ) 692 - 699  2014.09  [Refereed]

DOI PubMed

Effective Treatment of Metastatic Rhabdomyosarcoma with Pazopanib

Akari Hashimoto, Kohichi Takada, Rishu Takimoto, Hiroto Horiguchi, Tsutomu Sato, Satoshi Iyama, Kazuyuki Murase, Kaoru Ono, Ayumi Tatekoshi, Tsuyoshi Hayashi, Koji Miyanishi, Yasushi Sato, Masayoshi Kobune, Yasuo Hirayama, Hiroshi Kitamura, Katsuya Nakanishi, Naoya Masumori, Tadashi Hasegawa, Junji Kato

Japanese Journal of Cancer and Chemotherapy ( Japanese Journal of Cancer and Chemotherapy Publishers Inc. )  41 ( 8 ) 1041 - 1044  2014.08  [Refereed]

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Pazopanib, an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is the first molecular-Targeted agent approved for the treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS). Rhabdomyosarcoma in adults is rare, accounting for less than 3% of all adult STS cases. A 57-year-old woman presented with cervical lymphadenopathy. Computed tomography revealed a heterogeneous mass in the retro-peritoneum, replacing the entire right kidney. On the basis of the above findings, the patient was diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. She was first treated with 4 courses of vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide (VAC), which resulted in a partial response. Dose reduction and delay occurred owing to hematological toxicity and febrile neutropenia. As second-line chemotherapy, the patient was administered a single daily dose of 800 mg of pazopanib. Because of an episode of hand-foot syndrome and hepatic impairment, the 800-mg daily dose of pazopanib was reduced to a daily dose of 600 mg, which had to be further reduced to a daily dose of 400 mg owing to fatigue and anorexia. The patient maintained a partial response for a total of 4.3 months when treated with pazopanib. Therefore, this drug may be a new treatment option for patients showing metastatic STS after previous chemotherapy.

PubMed

Activated Hepatic Stellate Cells Are Dependent on Self-collagen, Cleaved by Membrane Type 1 Matrix Metalloproteinase for Their Growth

Naoko Kubo Birukawa, Kazuyuki Murase, Yasushi Sato, Akemi Kosaka, Akihiro Yoneda, Hiroki Nishita, Ryosuke Fujita, Miyuki Nishimura, Takafumi Ninomiya, Keiko Kajiwara, Miyono Miyazaki, Yusuke Nakashima, Sigenori Ota, Yuya Murakami, Yasunobu Tanaka, Kenjiro Minomi, Yasuaki Tamura, Yoshiro Niitsu

JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY ( AMER SOC BIOCHEMISTRY MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INC )  289 ( 29 ) 20209 - 20221  2014.07  [Refereed]

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Stellate cells are distributed throughout organs, where, upon chronic damage, they become activated and proliferate to secrete collagen, which results in organ fibrosis. An intriguing property of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is that they undergo apoptosis when collagen is resolved by stopping tissue damage or by treatment, even though the mechanisms are unknown. Here we disclose the fact that HSCs, normal diploid cells, acquired dependence on collagen for their growth during the transition from quiescent to active states. The intramolecular RGD motifs of collagen were exposed by cleavage with their own membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP). The following evidence supports this conclusion. When rat activated HSCs (aHSCs) were transduced with siRNA against the collagen-specific chaperone gp46 to inhibit collagen secretion, the cells underwent autophagy followed by apoptosis. Concomitantly, the growth of aHSCs was suppressed, whereas that of quiescent HSCs was not. These in vitro results are compatible with the in vivo observation that apoptosis of aHSCs was induced in cirrhotic livers of rats treated with siRNAgp46. siRNA against MT1-MMP and addition of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2), which mainly inhibits MT1-MMP, also significantly suppressed the growth of aHSCs in vitro. The RGD inhibitors echistatin and GRGDS peptide and siRNA against the RGD receptor alpha V beta 1 resulted in the inhibition of aHSCs growth. Transduction of siRNAs against gp46, alpha V beta 1, and MT1-MMP to aHSCs inhibited the survival signal of PI3K/AKT/I kappa B. These results could provide novel antifibrosis strategies.

DOI PubMed

Narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy ameliorates acute graft-versus-host disease by a mechanism involving in vivo expansion of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+regulatory T cells

Satoshi Iyama, Kazuyuki Murase, Tsutomu Sato, Akari Hashimoto, Ayumi Tatekoshi, Hiroto Horiguchi, Yusuke Kamihara, Kaoru Ono, Shohei Kikuchi, Kohichi Takada, Yutaka Kawano, Tsuyoshi Hayashi, Koji Miyanishi, Yasushi Sato, Rishu Takimoto, Masayoshi Kobune, Satoru Mori, Junji Kato, Toshiharu Yamashita, Junji Kato

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY ( SPRINGER JAPAN KK )  99 ( 4 ) 471 - 476  2014.04  [Refereed]

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Narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy (NB-UVB) is a therapeutic alternative for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation-related skin graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The beneficial effects of this intervention may be induced by direct irradiation of inflammatory cells in the skin; however, the putative involvement of indirect effects on systemic immunity has not been elucidated. To address this issue, 11 acute skin GVHD patients refractory to standard corticosteroid treatment and with no gut/liver involvement were treated with NB-UVB irradiation. The median number of treatments was 10 times, with a mean cumulative exposure of 6.36 J/cm(2). No other immunosuppressive therapy was initiated during irradiation. Eight patients achieved an objective complete response, two had a partial response, and one showed no change. None of the patients experienced progressive skin GVHD or newly diagnosed gut/liver GVHD. NB-UVB was well tolerated, with no patients discontinuing irradiation due to toxicity. We additionally demonstrated by flow cytometry that NB-UVB irradiation induces the increment of the proportion of regulatory T cell (Tregs) in patients' peripheral blood. These results suggest that NB-UVB may exert beneficial effects on steroid-refractory skin GVHD through the expansion of Tregs.

DOI PubMed

Combination chemotherapy of azacitidine and cetuximab for therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia following oxaliplatin for metastatic colorectal cancer

Akari Hashimoto, Kohichi Takada, Hiroto Horiguchi, Tsutomu Sato, Satoshi Iyama, Kazuyuki Murase, Yusuke Kamihara, Kaoru Ono, Ayumi Tatekoshi, Tsuyoshi Hayashi, Koji Miyanishi, Yasushi Sato, Tomohisa Furuhata, Masayoshi Kobune, Rishu Takimoto, Koichi Hirata, Junji Kato

Case Reports in Oncology ( S. Karger AG )  7 ( 2 ) 316 - 322  2014.03  [Refereed]

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Therapy-related leukemia (TRL) has been reported to occur after treatment with alkylating agents and/or topoisomerase II inhibitors. Oxaliplatin (OXP) is used as a key drug for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). Cisplatin and carboplatin have been linked with TRL, but the involvement of OXP is questionable. A 74-year-old male was diagnosed with peritoneal metastasis from CRC in July 2011. The patient received nine cycles of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), leucovorin (LV), and OXP (mFOLFOX-6 regimen) and three cycles of 5-FU and LV only, resulting in a clinical complete response. However, recurrence of CRC was detected by CT within 3 months after the last course of chemotherapy. In April 2013, laboratory tests showed pancytopenia and 15% blast cells. A bone marrow examination revealed multilineage dysplasia and 20.4% myeloblasts. Cytogenetic analysis indicated a complex karyotype that included chromosome 5 and 7 abnormalities. The patient was diagnosed with TRL and treated with a combination of azacitidine (AZA) and cetuximab (Cmab) for both cancers. AZA might be useful in TRL when a patient needs to be treated simultaneously for more than one primary cancer because of its low toxicity. Moreover, Cmab is an effective therapeutic tool in TRL patients with metastatic CRC with the wild-type K-ras gene.

DOI PubMed

Fucosylated TGF-beta receptors transduces a signal for epithelial-mesenchymal transition in colorectal cancer cells

M. Hirakawa, R. Takimoto, F. Tamura, M. Yoshida, M. Ono, K. Murase, Y. Sato, T. Osuga, T. Sato, S. Iyama, K. Miyanishi, K. Takada, T. Hayashi, M. Kobune, J. Kato

BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER ( NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP )  110 ( 1 ) 156 - 163  2014.01  [Refereed]

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Background: Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a major inducer of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in different cell types. TGF-beta-mediated EMT is thought to contribute to tumour cell spread and metastasis. Sialyl Lewis antigens synthesised by fucosyltransferase (FUT) 3 and FUT6 are highly expressed in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) and are utilised as tumour markers for cancer detection and evaluation of treatment efficacy. However, the role of FUT3 and FUT6 in augmenting the malignant potential of CRC induced by TGF-beta is unclear. Methods: Colorectal cancer cell lines were transfected with siRNAs for FUT3/6 and were examined by cell proliferation, invasion and migration assays. The expression and phosphorylation status of TGF-beta downstream molecules were analysed by western blot. Fucosylation of TGF-beta receptor (T beta R) was examined by lectin blot analysis. Results: Inhibition of FUT3/6 expression by siRNAs suppressed the fucosylation of type I T beta R and phosphorylation of the downstream molecules, thereby inhibiting the invasion and migration of CRC cells by EMT. Conclusion: Fucosyltransferase 3/6 has an essential role in cancer cell adhesion to endothelial cells by upregulation of sialyl Lewis antigens and also by enhancement of cancer cell migration through TGF-beta-mediated EMT.

DOI

[Follicular lymphoma complicated with myelofibrosis and macroglobulinemia at initial presentation].

Kuroda H, Abe T, Jomen W, Yoshida M, Matsuno T, Sato M, Yamada M, Sakurai T, Fujii S, Maeda M, Fujita M, Nagashima K, Murase K, Kato J

[Rinsho ketsueki] The Japanese journal of clinical hematology ( 11 )  54   2068 - 2073  2013.11  [Refereed]

DOI PubMed

Treatment of pancreatic fibrosis with siRNA against a collagen-specific chaperone in vitamin A-coupled liposomes

Hirotoshi Ishiwatari, Yasushi Sato, Kazuyuki Murase, Akihiro Yoneda, Ryosuke Fujita, Hiroki Nishita, Naoko Kubo Birukawa, Tsuyoshi Hayashi, Tsutomu Sato, Koji Miyanishi, Rishu Takimoto, Masayoshi Kobune, Shigenori Ota, Yasutoshi Kimura, Koichi Hirata, Junji Kato, Yoshiro Niitsu

GUT ( BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP )  62 ( 9 ) 1328 - 1339  2013.09  [Refereed]

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Background and objective Fibrosis associated with chronic pancreatitis is an irreversible lesion that can disrupt pancreatic exocrine and endocrine function. Currently, there are no approved treatments for this disease. We previously showed that siRNA against collagen-specific chaperone protein gp46, encapsulated in vitamin A-coupled liposomes (VA-lip-siRNAgp46), resolved fibrosis in a model of liver cirrhosis. This treatment was investigated for pancreatic fibrosis induced by dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC) and cerulein in rats. Methods Specific uptake of VA-lip-siRNAgp46, conjugated with 6-carboxyfluorescein (FAM) by activated pancreatic stellate cells (aPSCs), was analysed by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). Intracellular distribution of VA-lip-siRNAgp46-FAM was examined by fluorescent microscopy. Suppression of gp46 expression by VA-lip-siRNAgp46 was assessed by immunoblotting. Collagen synthesis in aPSCs was assayed by dye-binding. Specific delivery of VA-lip-siRNAgp46 to aPSCs in DBTC rats was verified following intravenous VA-lip-siRNA-FAM and H-3-VA-lip-siRNAgp46. The effect of VA-lip-siRNA on pancreatic histology in DBTC- and cerulein-treated rats was determined by Azan-Mallory staining and hydroxyproline content. Results FACS analysis revealed specific uptake of VA-lip-siRNAgp46-FAM through the retinol binding protein receptor by aPSCs in vitro. Immunoblotting and collagen assay verified knockdown of gp46 and suppression of collagen secretion, respectively, by aPSCs after transduction of VA-lip-siRNAgp46. Specific delivery of VA-lip-siRNAgp46 to aPSCs in fibrotic areas in DBTC rats was confirmed by fluorescence and radioactivity 24h after the final injection. 10 systemic VA-lip-siRNAgp46 treatments resolved pancreatic fibrosis, and suppressed tissue hydroxyproline levels in DBTC- and cerulein-treated rats. Conclusion These data suggest the therapeutic potential of the present approach for reversing pancreatic fibrosis.

DOI PubMed

Low-dose interleukin-2 therapy restores regulatory T cell homeostasis in patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease.

Ken-ichi Matsuoka, John Koreth, Haesook T Kim, Gregory Bascug, Sean McDonough, Yutaka Kawano, Kazuyuki Murase, Corey Cutler, Vincent T Ho, Edwin P Alyea, Philippe Armand, Bruce R Blazar, Joseph H Antin, Robert J Soiffer, Jerome Ritz

Science translational medicine ( 179 )  5 ( 179 ) 179ra43  2013.04  [Refereed]  [International journal]

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CD4(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a central role in the maintenance of immune tolerance after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We recently reported that daily administration of low-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) induces selective expansion of functional Tregs and clinical improvement of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). To define the mechanisms of action of IL-2 therapy, we examined the immunologic effects of this treatment on homeostasis of CD4(+) T cell subsets after transplant. We first demonstrated that chronic GVHD is characterized by constitutive phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (Stat5) in conventional CD4(+) T cells (Tcons) associated with elevated amounts of IL-7 and IL-15 and relative functional deficiency of IL-2. IL-2 therapy resulted in the selective increase of Stat5 phosphorylation in Tregs and a decrease of phosphorylated Stat5 in Tcons. Over an 8-week period, IL-2 therapy induced a series of changes in Treg homeostasis, including increased proliferation, increased thymic export, and enhanced resistance to apoptosis. Low-dose IL-2 had minimal effects on Tcons. These findings define the mechanisms whereby low-dose IL-2 therapy restores the homeostasis of CD4(+) T cell subsets and promotes the reestablishment of immune tolerance.

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