Kagawa University

About: Kagawa University is a education organization based out in Takamatsu, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Cancer & Population. The organization has 6028 authors who have published 11918 publications receiving 224111 citations. The organization is also known as: Kagawa Daigaku.

Galectin-9 controls the therapeutic activity of 4-1BB–targeting antibodies

Abstract: Biologics to TNF family receptors are prime candidates for therapy of immune disease. Whereas recent studies have highlighted a requirement for Fcγ receptors in enabling the activity of CD40, TRAILR, and GITR when engaged by antibodies, other TNFR molecules may be controlled by additional mechanisms. Antibodies to 4-1BB (CD137) are currently in clinical trials and can both augment immunity in cancer and promote regulatory T cells that inhibit autoimmune disease. We found that the action of agonist anti–4-1BB in suppressing autoimmune and allergic inflammation was completely dependent on Galectin-9 (Gal-9). Gal-9 directly bound to 4-1BB, in a site distinct from the binding site of antibodies and the natural ligand of 4-1BB, and Gal-9 facilitated 4-1BB aggregation, signaling, and functional activity in T cells, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells. Conservation of the Gal-9 interaction in humans has important implications for effective clinical targeting of 4-1BB and possibly other TNFR superfamily molecules.

A Novel Robot-Assisted Endovascular Catheterization System With Haptic Force Feedback

Abstract: The robot-assisted endovascular catheterization system (RAECS) has the potential to address some of the procedural challenges and separate interventionalists from the X-ray radiation during the endovascular surgery. However, the employment of robotic systems is partly changing the natural gestures and behavior of medical professionals. This paper presents a RAECS that augments surgeon's motions using the conventional catheter as well as generates the haptic force feedback to ensure surgery safety. The magnetorheological fluids based haptic interfaceexperiment is proposed to measure the actions of the operator and provide the haptic force. The slave catheter manipulator is presented to actuate the patient catheter in two degrees of freedom (radial and axial direction). In addition, a force model is provided to characterize the kinematics of the catheter intervention. Afterward, the “pseudocollision” and “real collision” are utilized to descript the catheter tip–vessel interaction. The in vitro results are presented, which demonstrate that catheter-based haptic force feedback has a benefit for improving catheterization skills as well as reducing the cognitive workload of operators.

The role of momilactones in rice allelopathy.

Abstract: Large field screening programs and laboratory experiments in many countries have indicated that rice is allelopathic and releases allelochemical(s) into its environment. A number of compounds, such as phenolic acids, fatty acids, phenylalkanoic acids, hydroxamic acids, terpenes, and indoles, have been identified as potential rice allelochemicals. However, the studies reviewed here demonstrate that the labdane-related diterpenoid momilactones are the most important, with momilactone B playing a particularly critical role. Rice plants secrete momilactone B from their roots into the neighboring environments over their entire life cycle at phytotoxic levels, and momilactone B seems to account for the majority of the observed rice allelopathy. In addition, genetic studies have shown that selective removal of the momilactones only from the complex mixture found in rice root exudates significantly reduces allelopathy, demonstrating that these serve as allelochemicals, the importance of which is reflected in the presence of a dedicated momilactone biosynthetic gene cluster in the rice genome.