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Objectives Galectin-3 is involved in various biological activities, including immune activations and fibrosis. Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) are autoimmune diseases of unknown aetiology, often complicated by interstitial lung disease (ILD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of galectin-3 in sera and tissues of patients with IIM and assess the associations of galectin-3 with patient characteristics and disease activity. Results Serum galectin-3 levels were significantly higher in IIM patients than in healthy controls. The serum galectin-3 levels positively correlated with serum levels of inflammatory markers and proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines and the Myositis Intention-to-Treat Activity Index. Stratification analysis revealed that patients with IIM-associated ILD (IIM-ILD) had significantly higher levels of serum galectin-3 than those without IIM-ILD. In addition, patients with acute/subacute interstitial pneumonia had significantly higher levels of serum galectin-3 than those with chronic interstitial pneumonia. Furthermore, serum galectin-3 levels in IIM-ILD patients correlated with the radiological assessments of parenchymal lung involvement and treatment response. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that galectin-3 was expressed in inflammatory cells of myositis and dermatitis sections, whereas in ILD sections, galectin-3 was expressed in interstitial fibrosis and inflammatory cells. Conclusion Galectin-3 may be involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and fibrotic conditions in IIM and can serve as a potential biomarker of disease activity, especially in patients with IIM-ILD.

In the present study, we hypothesized that habitual cigarette smoking attenuates endothelial function in the cerebral circulation as well as that of the peripheral circulation in young adults. To test this hypothesis, we measured cerebrovascular and peripheral flow‐mediated dilation (FMD) in young smokers and nonsmokers in the present study. Ten healthy nonsmokers and 10 smokers participated in the study. We measured blood velocity and diameter in the brachial artery and internal carotid artery (ICA) using Doppler ultrasound. We identified shear‐mediated dilation in the brachial artery and ICA by the percentage change in peak diameter during hyperemia stimulation (reactive hyperemia and hypercapnia). We measured the baseline diameter and the shear rate area under the curve from the onset of hyperemia to peak dilation in the brachial artery and ICA, finding the measurements of the smokers and those of the nonsmokers did not differ (p > .05). In contrast to brachial FMD (5.07 ± 1.79% vs. 7.92 ± 3.01%; smokers vs. nonsmokers, p = .019), FMD in the ICA was not attenuated in the smokers compared with that of the nonsmokers (5.46 ± 2.32% vs. 4.57 ± 2.70%; p = .442). These findings indicate that in young healthy smokers, cerebral endothelial function was preserved, and the response of cerebral endothelial function to smoking was different from that of peripheral vasculature., Peripheral FMD was lower in young healthy smokers than that in nonsmokers, indicating that habitual smoking attenuates peripheral endothelial function. In contrast, cerebral endothelial function was preserved in young healthy smokers. These findings suggest that the response of cerebral endothelial function to smoking is different from that of peripheral vasculature.

Summary Background Scirrhous gastric cancer is associated with peritoneal dissemination and advanced lymph node metastasis from an early stage, and the prognosis is still poor. In this study, we aimed to analyze candidate molecules for targeted therapy of scirrhous gastric cancer. We searched for molecules/metabolic activity that might be predominantly expressed in a subpopulation of scirrhous gastric cancer cells and might function as cancer stem cell markers. Results For this purpose, we investigated the expression of various cell surface markers and of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity. These analyses showed that the scirrhous gastric cancer cell lines HSC-58 and HSC-44PE heterogeneously expressed CD13, while CD44, CDCP1, EpCAM and ABCG2 were expressed uniformly. Moreover, 10% of the total HSC-58 cell population expressed ALDH enzyme activity. A subpopulation of cells strongly positive for ALDH also expressed high levels of CD13, both of which are known as cancer stem cell markers. HSC-58 cells expressing high levels of CD13 showed lower sensitivity to a cancer drug cisplatin than cells with low levels of CD13. In contrast, CD13 -high subpopulation of HSC-58 was more sensitive to an aminopeptidase N inhibitor bestatin. In terms of antibody-drug therapy, anti-CD13-immunotoxin was highly cytotoxic towards HSC-58 cells and was more cytotoxic than anti-EpCAM-immunotoxin. Conclusion These data suggest that CD13 is a suitable cell surface candidate for targeted antibody-drug therapy of scirrhous gastric cancer.

Despite aggressive surgical resections and combinatorial chemoradiations, certain highly malignant populations of tumor cells resurrect and metastasize. Mixed-grade cancer cells fail to respond to standard-of-care therapies by developing intrinsic chemoresistance and subsequently result in tumor relapse. Macroautophagy is a membrane trafficking process that underlies drug resistance and tumorigenesis in most breast cancers. Manipulating cellular homeostasis by a combinatorial nanotherapeutic model, one can evaluate the crosstalk between type I and type II cell death and decipher the fate of cancer therapy. Here, we present a multi-strategic approach in cancer targeting to mitigate the autophagic flux with subcellular toxicity via lysosome permeation, accompanied by mitochondrial perturbation and apoptosis. In this way, a nanoformulation is developed with a unique blend of a lysosomotropic agent, an immunomodulating sulfated-polysaccharide, an adjuvant chemotherapeutic agent, and a monoclonal antibody as a broad-spectrum complex for combinatorial nanotherapy of all breast cancers. To the best of our knowledge, this manuscript illustrates for the first time the applications of advanced microscopic techniques such as electron tomography, three-dimensional rendering and segmentation of subcellular interactions, and fate of the multifunctional therapeutic gold nanocages specifically targeted toward breast cancer cells.

CD146, a transmembrane glycoprotein member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, acts as an adhesion molecule that helps maintain the cell monolayer. Human endothelial cells expressing CD146 are involved in angiogenesis and inflammation. Recently, we developed a sandwich ELISA for detecting soluble CD146 (sCD146) in human serum specimens. The aim of this study is to determine serum levels of sCD146 in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and to examine the relationship between sCD146 levels and clinical manifestations. We quantified serum sCD146 levels in 47 serum samples from patients fulfilling criteria for SSc, 23 serum samples from patients fulfilling criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 25 healthy controls. We also investigated the relationship between sCD146 levels and various clinical characteristics with SSc patients. Levels of sCD146 were significantly higher in the 47 patients with SSc than in the 25 healthy controls and 23 patients with RA (12.50 vs. 6.91 vs. 9.95 ng/ml; p

BACKGROUND Focusing on Adv-FZ33, a modified adenovirus in which a synthetic 33-amino-acid immunoglobulin G-binding domain was inserted into the adenoviral fiber protein, we tried to identify suitable target molecules for prostate cancer-specific gene therapy. METHODS Hybridomas were established from mice immunized with prostate cancer cell lines. The hybridomas were screened using Adv-FZ33 to create monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that induced high gene transfer efficiency for PC-3 cells. Furthermore, we identified target antigens of the mAbs by immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry, and investigated the expression of target molecules by flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. RESULTS Using Adv-FZ33, we established four different mouse mAbs that increased transduction efficiency for PC-3. The target antigens identified were Ep-CAM, CD155, HAI-1, and Na,K-ATPase β1. These antigens were expressed in several cancer cell lines, including prostate cancer. Human prostatic myofibroblast cells lacked expression of Ep-CAM and HAI-1. CONCLUSIONS We established anti-Ep-CAM mAb and anti- HAI-1 mAbs. Gene transduction via Ep-CAM and HAI-1 may be a novel strategy for treatment of prostate cancer. Prostate 67: 1163–1173, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

BACKGROUND Although neuroendocrine (NE) cells in prostate cancer have been speculated to accelerate the growth and progression of surrounding cancer cells, the evidence is as yet inconclusive. We investigated the effect of an NE allograft (NE-10) and its cell line, NE-CS, which were established from the prostate of the LPB-Tag 12T-10 transgenic mouse, on human prostate cancer cell line LNCaP. METHODS The proliferation and pulmonary metastasis of LNCaP xenografts in athymic mice with and without NE-10 allografts were evaluated. Boyden chamber assay and microarray analysis were performed to investigate changes in invasion/migration and mRNA of LNCaP cells under the influence of the NE cells, respectively. RESULTS NE-10 did not influence the proliferation of LNCaP. The pulmonary metastasis of LNCaP with NE-10 significantly increased compared to mice without it. The NE-CS cells accelerated the in vitro invasion/migration of adenocarcinoma cells. Increased expression of mRNA of gelsolin was observed in LNCaP cells incubated with the supernatant of NE-CS cells. CONCLUSIONS The NE-10 allograft promotes pulmonary metastasis of subcutaneously inoculated LNCaP cells by facilitating cell invasion. Secretions from NE cells upregulate the expression of gelsolin, which is an actin-binding protein, resulting in acceleration of the migration of LNCaP cells. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Background— Apoptosis is an important cause of early graft loss after heart transplantation. Bcl-xL was reported to protect the heart against normothermic ischemia and reperfusion injury. In this study, we determined whether overexpression of Bcl-xL could inhibit tissue injury resulting from prolonged cold preservation followed by warm reperfusion of heart transplants. Methods and Results— Lewis rat hearts were transduced with an adenovirus vector harboring Bcl-xL cDNA (AxCAhBclxL) 4 days before collection of tissue. After preservation in University of Wisconsin solution at 4°C for 24 hours, the heart was either perfused with a Langendorff device ex vivo or used for heterotopic heart transplantation in vivo. Bcl-xL gene transfer significantly reduced the infarct size (23.0±2.6% versus 47.7±7.0% in saline control and 48.6±6.1% in vector control, P P c release from the mitochondria; it also significantly decreased cardiac cell apoptosis and improved graft survival rate after long cold preservation, followed by warm reperfusion. Conclusions— Bcl-xL gene transfer inhibited the translocation of Bax and prolonged the cold preservation time of cardiac transplants. This may be a potential therapeutic method in clinical practice.

Cracks in concrete structure cause deterioration of durability due to corrosion of reinforcement. Although crack width is controlled in less than the allowable value in the present design method, concrete structure with cracks deteriorate more easily than that without cracks. The objective of this study is to develop the reinforced concrete member that a crack doesn't occur in serviceability limit state. This study gave attention to a super high strength of Reactive Powder Composite (RPC), especially a high tensile strength on crack development. RPC consists of premixed powder in selected combination of cement, silica particles, siliceous sand, special water reducing agent, and steel fibers.A part of tension zone in reinforced concrete beam was fortified by RPC. The cross-sectional area of RPC part was varied in three ways. Flexural load tests of beam were carried out. The crack development moment of the beams fortified by RPC increased with the increase of reinforcing area of RPC. When the bending moment that the cracks with permissible crack width for corrosion of reinforcement develop in the usual reinforced concrete beam acted, cracks didn't occur in the beams reinforced with RPC suitably. The flexural behaviours of the beam reinforced with RPC could be analysed by elastic theory in the range of service state. When the bending moment on the occurrence of the crack is estimated, the restraint stress due to autogeneous shrinkage of RPC must be taken into consideration.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) were reported to ameliorate functional deficits after stroke in rats, with some of this improvement possibly resulting from the action of cytokines secreted by these cells. To enhance such cytokine effects, we previously transfected the telomerized human MSC with the BDNF gene using a fiber-mutant adenovirus vector and reported that such treatment contributed to improved ischemic recovery in a rat transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. In the present study, we investigated whether other cytokines in addition to BDNF, i.e., GDNF, CNTF, or NT3, might have a similar or greater effect in this model. Rats that received MSC-BDNF (P < 0.05) or MSC-GDNF (P < 0.05) showed significantly more functional recovery as demonstrated by improved behavioral test results and reduced ischemic damage on MRI than did control rats 7 and 14 days following MCAO. On the other hand, rats that received MSC-CNTF or MSC-NT3 showed neither functional recovery nor ischemic damage reduction compared to control rats. Thus, MSC transfected with the BDNF or GDNF gene resulted in improved function and reduced ischemic damage in a rat model of MCAO. These data suggest that gene-modified cell therapy may be a useful approach for the treatment of stroke.

Examination of the clinical therapeutic efficacy of using bone marrow stromal cells, including mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), has recently been the focus of much investigation. MSC were reported to ameliorate functional deficits after stroke in rats, with some of this improvement possibly resulting from the action of cytokines secreted by these cells. To enhance such cytokine effects, we transfected telomerized human MSC with the BDNF gene using a fiber-mutant F/RGD adenovirus vector and investigated whether these cells contributed to improved functional recovery in a rat transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. BDNF production by MSC-BDNF cells was 23-fold greater than that seen in uninfected MSC. Rats that received MSC-BDNF showed significantly more functional recovery than did control rats following MCAO. Specifically, MRI analysis revealed that the rats in the MSC-BDNF group exhibited more significant recovery from ischemia after 7 and 14 days. The number of TUNEL-positive cells in the ischemic boundary zone was significantly smaller in animals treated with MSC-BDNF compared to animals in the control group. These data suggest that MSC transfected with the BDNF gene may be useful in the treatment of cerebral ischemia and may represent a new strategy for the treatment of stroke.

The authors previously proposed an energy method using finite-element division and applied it to the analysis of the flow of material. In this work, the authors develop this method further to obtain the stress distribution in caliber rolling. Recently, Tomita obtained the stress distribution using the grid method so that the equilibrium condition may be satisfied approximately, whereas Mori evaluated the accuracy of the result obtained by the rigid-plastic finite-element method, by considering the equivalent nodal force which is assumed to be in equilibrium. Hence, the authors combined these methods and applied them to determine the stress distribution. The following results were obtained. First, in the flat rolling of bars, the roll force agrees well with the theoretical equation proposed by Saito. Second, in square-diamond rolling and round-oval rolling, the roll force depends on the ratio of the indirectly reduced area in the cross-section to the area of the cross-section. Finally, in square-oval rolling, the roll force agrees with the theoretical equation proposed by Saito when the projected material-roll contact length is replaced by the mean projected material-roll contact length in the width direction.

We tried to extract facial features based on physiological evidence. Complex units in the network are excited by one type of simple units with horizontal Gabor receptive fields and inhibited by another type of simple units with horizontal fields, but with lower frequency–selectivity.

The fiber volume fraction and fiber orientation play an important role in both the rheological analysis of molten polymer and mechanical properties of a finished part in injection molding. Many works have been devoted to the motion of a fiber, rheology of suspension and fiber-fiber interaction for dilute and semi-dilute systems, but less for concentrated suspension, and also, less works to the interaction between fiber and die surface. In this paper, equations are derived to describe the motion of fibers for concentrated suspension basing on the equilibrium of force and torque acted on each fiber in a simple shear flow, where fiber-die surface interaction is numerically analyzed, and fiber-fiber interaction is considered by modifying Tuckers' model. It is found that fiber volume fraction near die surface decreases and fiber orientation distribution along the flow direction is obtained. It results in decrease of viscosity and increase of velocity gradient near die surface.

Experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) induced by immunization with interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP), a retinal self antigen, has been regarded to be a typical T helper type 1 (Th1)-mediated inflammatory disease. In this study, we examined the effect of a neutralizing monoclonal antibody (mAb) to interleukin-12 (IL-12), which has been known to play a critical role in the Th1 differentiation, on the development of EAU. While 9 of 13 control mice developed EAU by the immunization with IRBP, none of 12 mice developed EAU when given anti-IL-12 mAb 1 day before immunization. These mice did not develop EAU even after a rechallenge with IRBP on day 30, indicating that a protective mechanism had been established by the anti-IL-12 treatment. The proliferative response of splenocytes to IRBP in vitro was not significantly impaired, but the production of IL-2 and IFN-gamma was greatly reduced by the anti-IL-12 treatment. Moreover, production of IL-5 and expression of IL-4 mRNA were increased by the anti-IL-12 treatment. Consistently, IgG2a anti-IRBP serum antibodies were decreased and IgG1 were increased. Administration of a neutralizing anti-IL-4 mAb at the time of IRBP rechallenge reversed the protection established by the anti-IL-12 treatment at the primary immunization. These results indicate that the anti-IL-12 treatment at the IRBP priming not only prevented the development of pathogenic Th1 cells, but also induced suppressive Th2 cells that protect the animals from further challenge with the same antigen.

Purpose: The interleukin-13 receptor α2 (IL-13Rα2) is expressed by a variety of human malignant cells. Here, we have examined the constitutive surface expression and the epigenetic regulation of IL-13Rα2 by human mesothelioma. We have also investigated the therapeutic effect of the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC) and anti–IL-13Rα2 monoclonal antibody on mesothelioma xenografts. Experimental Design: Cell surface expression of IL-13Rα2 by various lung carcinomas was analyzed using flow cytometry. Therapeutic effects of anti–IL-13Rα2 and 5-aza-dC were investigated using antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and proliferation assays and by monitoring the survival of mesothelioma-bearing mice. Results: We found that human malignant mesotheliomas expressed surface IL-13Rα2 on their surface and that it was upregulated by treatment with 5-aza-dC. This augmented expression of IL-13Rα2 resulted in growth inhibition of the mesothelioma cells when cocultured with anti-IL-13Rα2 and effector cells, such as splenocytes and peritoneal exudate cells. The growth inhibition of mesothelioma cells was mediated by IFN-γ that was only detected in the supernatant when effector cells were exposed to 5-aza-dC–treated tumors in the presence of anti–IL-13Rα2. Compared with the control or either regimen alone, in vivo administration of anti-IL-13Rα2 in combination with 5-aza-dC significantly prolonged the survival of mice with mesothelioma xenografts. Conclusions: These observations indicate a promising role for IL-13Rα2 as a target for antibody treatment in malignant mesothelioma, and, in combination with epigenetic regulation by a DNA methylation inhibitor, suggest the potential for a novel strategy to enhance therapeutic potency. Clin Cancer Res; 17(9); 2819–29. ©2011 AACR.

A flexible and incremental sheet metal bulging machine using a few spherical rollers has been developed for the small-batch manufacture of nonsymmetrical shallow shells, and for eliminating the necessity of the forming die and punch. The hand-operated bulging machine performed a wide range of sheet metal shaping of complex shapes, for example, pyramidal shells, shells of the frustum of a pyramid, shallow pans and embossed panels. An approximate calculation method for the distribution of thickness strain and the maximum bulging height of the shell was proposed using the fracture limit from the incremental bulging test with a ball punch and a geometrical plane-strain deformation model. The predictions for the shell of the frustum of a quadrangular pyramid and the shell of the frustum of a right circular cone were in reasonably good agreement with experimental values for the annealed aluminum sheet.

A flexible and incremental sheet metal bulging machine using a path-controlled spherical roller has been developed for the small-batch manufacture of nonsymmetrical shallow shells. The computer operations-controlled bulging machine performed a wide range of sheet metal shaping on complex shapes, for example, pyramidal shells, shells of the frustum of a pyramid, shallow pans and embossed panels. In order to predict the forming limit of incremental shaping, a new incremental bulging test by a ball punch was performed on an annealed aluminum sheet, and the experimental results showed that fracture occurred when the thickness strain reached n constant value. An approximate calculation method for the maximum bulging height of the shell was proposed, using this fracture limit and a geometrical deformation model. The predictions for the shell of the frustum of a quadrangular pyramid and the quadrangular pyramidal shell were in reasonably good agreement with experimental values for the annealed aluminum sheet.

Alpha-Galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer) is a potent CD1d ligand that activates natural killer like T-cells (NKT), leading to the production of helper T (Th) 1 and Th2 cytokines that mediate various immunemodulatory and antitumor effects. Here, we determined whether the administration of adenovirus-vector-encoding mouse interleukin-2 (AdmIL-2) can augment the antitumor effect of alpha-GalCer on subcutaneous and metastatic tumors in mice. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with alpha-GalCer on days 7, 10 and 13 after tumor inoculation, with or without intratumoral injection of AdmIL-2 on day 7. alpha-GalCer treatment increased the serum levels of interferon-gamma, while intratumoral injection of AdmIL-2 elevated serum IL-2 levels. A combination of alpha-GalCer and AdmIL-2 (alpha-GalCer/AdmIL-2) inhibited the in vivo tumor growth and improved the survival of tumor-bearing mice, as compared to the use of a single agent. Experiments on spontaneous metastasis models revealed that alpha-GalCer/AdmIL-2 reduced lung metastasis and prolonged survival, as compared to control groups. In addition, the splenic and liver mononuclear cells from mice treated with alpha-GalCer/AdmIL-2 showed enhanced cytolytic activity against NK-sensitive YAC-1 and NK-resistant 3LL tumors. Moreover, alpha-GalCer/AdmIL-2 treatment expanded the absolute numbers of lung and liver NK, NKT and T-cells as well as the TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) expression of these cells. This study shows the efficacy of alpha-GalCer/AdmIL-2 immunomodulatory therapy, and provides a cellular mechanism on how it exerts the antitumor effects.

Supported by the Office of International Affairs, National Cancer Institute (NCI), the "US-Japan Workshop on Immunological Biomarkers in Oncology" was held in March 2009. The workshop was related to a task force launched by the International Society for the Biological Therapy of Cancer (iSBTc) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to identify strategies for biomarker discovery and validation in the field of biotherapy. The effort will culminate on October 28th 2009 in the "iSBTc-FDA-NCI Workshop on Prognostic and Predictive Immunologic Biomarkers in Cancer", which will be held in Washington DC in association with the Annual Meeting. The purposes of the US-Japan workshop were a) to discuss novel approaches to enhance the discovery of predictive and/or prognostic markers in cancer immunotherapy; b) to define the state of the science in biomarker discovery and validation. The participation of Japanese and US scientists provided the opportunity to identify shared or discordant themes across the distinct immune genetic background and the diverse prevalence of disease between the two Nations. Converging concepts were identified: enhanced knowledge of interferon-related pathways was found to be central to the understanding of immune-mediated tissue-specific destruction (TSD) of which tumor rejection is a representative facet. Although the expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) likely mediates the inflammatory process leading to tumor rejection, it is insufficient by itself and the associated mechanisms need to be identified. It is likely that adaptive immune responses play a broader role in tumor rejection than those strictly related to their antigen-specificity; likely, their primary role is to trigger an acute and tissue-specific inflammatory response at the tumor site that leads to rejection upon recruitment of additional innate and adaptive immune mechanisms. Other candidate systemic and/or tissue-specific biomarkers were recognized that might be added to the list of known entities applicable in immunotherapy trials. The need for a systematic approach to biomarker discovery that takes advantage of powerful high-throughput technologies was recognized; it was clear from the current state of the science that immunotherapy is still in a discovery phase and only a few of the current biomarkers warrant extensive validation. It was, finally, clear that, while current technologies have almost limitless potential, inadequate study design, limited standardization and cross-validation among laboratories and suboptimal comparability of data remain major road blocks. The institution of an interactive consortium for high throughput molecular monitoring of clinical trials with voluntary participation might provide cost-effective solutions.

The therapeutic effect of a combined modality of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) on MBL-2 tumor in C57BL/6 mice was studied. Murine LAK cells induced from splenocytes by interleukin 2 (IL2) could lyse MBL-2 target cells in vitro. but no enhancement of the LAK activity was found by the treatment of LAK cells with TNF alpha in vitro. However, the treatment of MBL-2 with TNF alpha enhanced the sensitivity to LAK cells. Moreover, administration of TNF alpha to mice bearing solid MBL-2 tumor led to increased tumor vascular permeability within 1 h, and resulted in the enhanced accumulation of systemically transferred LAK cells in tumor tissue. Based on these results, we treated MBL-2-bearing mice with TNF alpha and then with LAK cells 1 h later. No therapeutic effect was observed when tumor-bearing mice were treated with TNF alpha alone or LAK cells plus IL2. However, adoptive immunotherapy using LAK cells and TNF alpha had therapeutic effects, i.e., growth inhibition of tumor nodules and prolongation of survival. These results indicated that appropriately timed pretreatment of tumor-bearing mice with TNF alpha augmented the anti-tumor efficacy of LAK cells.

In bar rolling, a bar is usually made by applying front and back tension, so it is important to analyze the effect of the front and back tension on rolling properties. Further more, it is also important for precise rolling to confirm the ratio of the variation in rolling properties to the change of tensions. In this paper, the analysis of the effect of tension was performed by the energy method using finite element division, which we have proposed previously. First, the effect of the front and back tension on spread, forward slip, roll force and roll torque were proved reasonable by comparison with the experimental formula. Next, the ratio of the variation of the roll torque to the change in tension was obtained approximately using the results of no tension applied. As the roll radius increases, the ratio of the variation of spread, forward slip, roll force and roll torque to the change in tension decreased. As the reduction and height / width ratio of caliber increases, the ratio of the variation of roll torque to the change in tension decreased.

EphA2 is a cell surface glycoprotein expresses in various tumor tissues including lung, breast and pancreas carcinoma. As the patients with a highly positive surface expression of EphA2 carcinomas have the poor prognosis, therefore, preclinical and clinical studies using antibody targeting to EphA2 are underlying. Previous study has reported that EphA2 fragment is also released in a soluble form by the proteolytic cleavage from tumor cell surface. In this study, we tried to detect the soluble form of EphA2 (sEphA2) in the serum specimens of lung cancer patients. By using antibodies to EphA2, we developed a new sandwich ELISA system detecting human sEphA2 with high sensitivity and specificity. With this system, we measured the concentration of sEphA2 in the serum of normal healthy donors and lung cancer patients. The concentration of sEphA2 was significantly higher in sera of 15 lung cancer patients than 15 healthy donors (p Citation Format: Tadanori Kondo, Hiroki Yumoto, Kento Usui, Kazunori Kato. Soluble EphA2 is a potential serum biomarker for lung cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 546. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-546

We developed human mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) lines that could differentiate into various tissue cells including bone, neural cells, bone marrow (BM) stromal cells supporting the growth of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC), and so-called 'tumor stromal cells' mixing with tumor cells. We investigated the applicability of MSC as therapeutic cell transplanting reagents (cytoreagents). Telomerized human BM derived stromal cells exhibited a prolonged lifespan and supported the growth of hematopoietic clonogenic cells. The gene transfer of Indian hedgehog (Ihh) remarkably enhanced the HSC expansion supported by the human BM stromal cells. Gene-modified MSC are useful as therapeutic tools for brain tissue damage (e.g. brain infarction) and malignant brain neoplasms. MSC transplantation protected the brain tissue from acute ischemic damage in the midcerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) animal model. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-gene transduction further enhanced the protective efficacy against the ischemic damage. MSC possessed excellent migratory ability and exerted inhibitory effects on the proliferation of glioma cells. Gene-modification of MSC with therapeutic cytokines clearly augmented the antitumor effect and prolonged the survival of tumor-bearing animals. Gene therapy employing MSC as a tissue-protecting and targeting cytoreagent would be a promising approach.

Background: To explore effective therapeutic strategy against cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, tumor vaccination using fibroblasts secreting interleukin-12 (IL-12) was developed as an adjuvant therapy against murine tumor after surgical resection. Methods: Initially, IL-12 was genetically engineered into fibroblasts (IL-12/3T3 cells), and then we evaluated in vivo and in vitro antitumor effects. In the vaccination model, irradiated C-26 tumor mass was reinoculated intradermally with IL-12/3T3 cells in mice as a tumor vaccine to examine how much it suppresses tumor recurrence. Results: IL-12/3T3 cells producing 7.2 ng/10 6 cells/24 h murine IL-12 in vitro exerted dose-dependent potent tumor suppression when coinoculated with C-26 cells in vivo. Specific immunity was also acquired in 63% of mice in vivo. In the vaccination model, protective immunity was developed in 70% of mice that were inoculated with irradiated tumor mass and IL-12/3T3 cells. In addition, local recurrence was not observed in vaccinated mice, although 44% of control mice had recurrence. Conclusions: Coinoculation of genetically engineered fibroblasts secreting IL-12 with irradiated tumor mass was proved to be an effective tumor vaccine. This system of vaccination is easily applicable to clinical situations, particularly to human gastrointestinal tract cancers. (Surgery 1999;125:257-64.)

In this study, we examined the therapeutic antitumor effect of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) generated against CD86-transfected mouse neuroblastoma C1300. We first generated the transfectant, CD86 + C1300, expressing a high level of mouse CD86 on the cell surface. While CD86 + C1300 cells were rejected in syngeneic A/J mice when inoculated subcutaneously, neither vaccination nor any therapeutic antitumor effect was obtained, implying that C1300 may be a poorly immunogenic tumor. However, in vitro stimulation of splenocytes from either C1300-bearing or CD86 + C1300-rejecting mice with CD86 + C1300 cells resulted in remarkable CTL activity against C1300 cells. The CTL activity induced by CD86 + C1300 was mediated by T cell receptor/CD3 and CD8 and was further enhanced by the addition of interleukin-2. Intravenous inoculation of C1300 cells led to multiple organ metastases including the liver, lung, kidney, ovary, lymph node and bone marrow. To examine the therapeutic effect of CTL in this metastasis model, CTL induced by parental or CD86 + C1300 cells were administrated into C1300-bearing mice. Adoptive transfer of CD86 + C1300-induced CTL resulted in marked elimination of multi-organ metastases and prolonged survival in almost all mice, 70% of which survived indefinitely. These results indicate that adoptive transfer of CTL induced by CD86-transfected tumor cells in vitro would be effective and useful for tumor immunotherapy against poorly immunogenic tumors.

Purpose: Interleukin-13 receptor β2 (IL13Rα2) is known as a cancer antigen and high expression of this receptor is found in various human cancers, such as glioma, renal cell carcinoma and prostate carcinoma. Immunotoxin or cytotoxin therapy for malignant glioma targeting IL13Rα2 has already been investigated in preclinical and clinical trials. Here, we have examined the constitutive surface expression and the epigenetic regulation of IL13Rα2 by human mesothelioma. We have also investigated the therapeutic effect of the DNA methylation inhibitor, 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC), and anti-IL13Rα2 monoclonal antibody on mesothelioma xenografts. Experimental Design: Cell surface expression of IL13Rα2 by various lung carcinomas was analyzed using flow cytometry. Therapeutic effects of anti-IL13Rα2 and 5-aza-dC were investigated using antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and proliferation assays, and by monitoring the survival of mesothelioma-bearing mice. Results: We found that human malignant mesotheliomas expressed surface IL13Rα2 on their surface and that it was up-regulated by treatment with 5-aza-dC. This augmented expression of IL13Rα2 resulted in growth inhibition of the mesothelioma cells when co-cultured with anti-IL13Rα2 and effector cells, such as splenocytes and peritoneal exudate cells. The growth inhibition of mesothelioma cells was mediated by interferon-α that was only detected in the supernatant when effector cells were exposed to 5-aza-dC-treated tumors in the presence of anti-IL13Rα2. Compared with the control or either regimen alone, in vivo administration of anti-IL13Rα2 in combination with 5-aza-dC significantly prolonged the survival of mice with mesothelioma xenografts. Conclusion: These observations indicate a promising role for IL13Rα2 as a target for antibody treatment in malignant mesothelioma, and, in combination with epigenetic regulation by a DNA methylation inhibitor, suggest the potential for a novel strategy to enhance therapeutic potency. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1555. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1555

Effective parameters of a DESIRE process on lithographic performances were studied. It is known that the silylation profile affects a resist pattern profile after development. Here, the relation between silylation profile and resist performances such as depth of focus (DOF), pattern fidelity, and resolution limit were investigated through functional analysis of exposure, cross-linking, and silylation itself. Based on this, new excimer resists were developed and remarkable large DOF and high resolution were realized. In this paper, we describe a total scheme of silylation and resist performance of novel PLASMASK resist at sub-half to quarter micron rule pattern by using the newest lithographic tools.

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In the field of bar rolling, many experimental researches have been performed, and various empirical formulas are proposed. But there are few analytical approaches to this subject, because the flow of material in bar rolling is complicated in comparison with that in sheet rolling and it is not easy to determine the three-dimensional kinematically admissible velocity fields. Recently, we have proposed a new energy method using finite element division. In this paper, this method is descrived in application to bar rolling. First, technique of finite element division is suggested in order that we can apply the method to any type of rolling in which central region of material is reduced earlier than the other part. Second, the influence of degree of freedom of velocity fields on rolling properties is discussed, and an appropriate velocity field is proposed. Finally, this method is applied to the analysis of flow of material in two types of bar rolling, square-diamond pass and round-oval pass, and reasonable results are obtained.

A combined method of the usual energy method with the rigid plastic finite element method (FEM) is proposed. In this method a velocity field is expressed by a linear combination of a number of simple velocity fields and the unknown coefficients of that expression are determined by minimizing the total energy dissipation. Improved points are as follows : (i) difficulty in introducing a suitable velocity field in the usual energy method is reduced to a great extent, (ii) computation time is shortened by applying a technique in FEM and limitation of degree of freedom in the velocity field in the energy method is removed, and (iii) main part of program of computation is made common to general plastic workings. This method is applied to the analysis of flat-rolling of a bar, and it is found that rolling properties and deformation agree well with experimental ones.

In the usual moire method and the multiplication method, the sensitivity to deformation is not sufficient at present. Then, how to increase the sensitivity is studied. In the measurement of a usual sheet metal specimen, moire fringes with large mis-match is photographed on a film at first. Such fringes are equivalent to grating lines on the specimen, as thy displace corresponding to strain, and they can be amplified by applying the multiplication method to that film. When strain is expressed by two beam interference fringes, one of the beams is tilted by a small amount, then fine fringes are obtained. They are equivalent to moire fringes with large mis-match and the multiplication method can be applied. Applications in various conditions have been shown. Consequently, concerning a sheet metal, measurement of elastic-plastic strain (eb 0.001) becomes possible and in the special condition that the surface of a specimen has been finished mirror-like, elastic strain (eb 0.001) can be measured.