Hyogo College of Medicine

About: Hyogo College of Medicine is a education organization based out in Nishinomiya, Hyôgo, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Cancer & Transplantation. The organization has 5030 authors who have published 10629 publications receiving 258734 citations. The organization is also known as: Hyōgo ika daigaku.

Effect of GDNF gene transfer into axotomized retinal ganglion cells using in vivo electroporation with a contact lens-type electrode.

Abstract: We developed an in vivo electroporation method to introduce foreign genes into retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). After the intravitreous injection of the plasmid gene (20 mug), five electric pulses (6 V/cm, 100 ms duration) were each delivered twice with 5 min interval to the rat eye using a contact lens-type electrode (cathodal) attached to the cornea and a needle electrode (anodal) inserted to the middle of the forehead. The efficiency of the genetic introduction into RGCs and tissue damage to the eyeball was evaluated using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene, TUNEL and histological observation. DiI retrograde labeling revealed that 24.4 +/- 4.7% of all RGCs were electrointroduced with the GFP gene. TUNEL and histological analysis showed a few tissue damages in the cornea, lens and retina. To confirm whether this method can actually rescue damaged RGCs, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) was electrointroduced into RGCs after optic nerve transection. After the electrointroduction, a significant increase in the number of surviving RGCs was observed 2 and 4 weeks after the optic nerve transection, and the decrease of caspase 3 and 9 was detected by RT-PCR. These results suggest that this method may be useful for the delivery of genes into RGCs with simplicity and minimal tissue damage.

Randomized phase III trial of gastrectomy with or without neoadjuvant S-1 plus cisplatin for type 4 or large type 3 gastric cancer, the short-term safety and surgical results: Japan Clinical Oncology Group Study (JCOG0501).

Abstract: The prognosis of patients with linitis plastica (type 4) and large (≥ 8 cm) ulcero-invasive-type (type 3) gastric cancer is extremely poor, even after extended surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Given the promising results of our previous phase II study evaluating neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with S-1 plus cisplatin (JCOG0210), we performed a phase III study to confirm the efficacy of NAC in these patients, with the safety and surgical results are presented here. Eligible patients were randomized to gastrectomy plus adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 (Arm A) or NAC followed by gastrectomy + adjuvant chemotherapy (Arm B). The primary endpoint was the overall survival (OS). This trial is registered at the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry as C000000279. From February 2007 to July 2013, 300 patients were randomized (Arm A 149, Arm B 151). NAC was completed in 133 patients (88%). Major grade 3/4 adverse events during NAC were neutropenia (29.3%), nausea (5.4%), diarrhea (4.8%), and fatigue (2.7%). Gastrectomy was performed in 147 patients (99%) in Arm A and 139 patients (92%) in Arm B. The operation time was significantly shorter in Arm B than in Arm A (median 255 vs. 240 min, respectively; p = 0.024). There were no significant differences in Grade 2–4 morbidity and mortality (25.2% and 1.3% in Arm A and 15.8% and 0.7% in Arm B, respectively). NAC for type 4 and large type 3 gastric cancer followed by D2 gastrectomy can be safely performed without increasing the morbidity or mortality.