Methotrexate­associated B­cell lymphoproliferative disease that exhibits hematuria due to urinary bladder lesions: A case report.

Methotrexate (MTX)-related lymphoproliferative disease (LPD) is one of the most prominent late complications associated with MTX treatment. Although MTX-related LPD exhibits a relatively high incidence of extranodal disease, the incidence of disease in a urinary bladder is very low. The present study reports the case of a patient with MTX-related LPD involving a urinary bladder mass. A 75-year-old female patient, who had been receiving MTX for ~15 years, was referred to the hospital due to fever and hematuria. A computed tomography scan revealed the thickening of the urinary bladder wall, hydronephrosis and lymph node swelling. The histopathological findings of the urinary bladder mass resulted in a diagnosis of MTX-related LPD. Although MTX withdrawal did not have any effect, the subsequent chemotherapy resulted in complete remission. Although MTX-related LPD in the bladder is rare, it is pertinent to consider MTX-related LPD when hematuria is observed during MTX therapy.

Grafting Hydrophobic Amino Acids Critical for Inhibition of Protein-Protein Interactions on a Cell-Penetrating Peptide Scaffold.

Stapled peptides are a promising class of conformationally restricted peptides for modulating protein-protein interactions (PPIs). However, the low membrane permeability of these peptides is an obstacle to their therapeutic applications. It is common that only a few hydrophobic amino acid residues are mandatory for stapled peptides to bind to their target proteins. Hoping to create a novel class of membrane-permeable PPI inhibitors, the phenylalanine, tryptophan, and leucine residues that play a critical role in inhibiting the p53-HDM2 interaction were grafted into the framework of CADY2─a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) having a helical propensity. Two analogues (CADY-3FWL and CADY-10FWL) induced apoptotic cell death but lacked the intended HDM2 interaction. Pull-down experiments followed by proteomic analysis led to the elucidation of nesprin-2 as a candidate binding target. Nesprin-2 is considered to play a role in the nuclear translocation of ß-catenin upon activation of the Wnt signaling pathway, which leads to the expression of antiapoptosis proteins and cell survival. Cells treated with the two analogues showed decreased nuclear localization of ß-catenin and reduced mRNA expression of related antiapoptotic proteins. These data suggest inhibition of ß-catenin nuclear translocation as a possible mode of action of the described cell-penetrating stapled peptides.

Heterologous production of coryneazolicin in Escherichia coli.

Coryneazolicin is a plantazolicin family peptide, belonging to linear azole-containing peptides (LAPs). Although coryneazolicin was previously synthesized by in vitro experiments, its biological activity has not been evaluated. In this report, the heterologous production of coryneazolicin was accomplished to obtain enough coryneazolicin for biological activity tests. The structure of coryneazolicin was confirmed by ESI-MS and NMR analyses. The biological activity tests indicated that coryneazolicin possessed potent antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity. Although antibacterial activity of plantazolicin was previously reported, cytotoxicity was newly found in coryneazolicin among plantazolicin type peptides. In addition, we revealed that coryneazolicin induced apoptosis on HCT116 and HOS cancer cell lines.

WFS1 mutation screening in a large series of Japanese hearing loss patients: Massively parallel DNA sequencing-based analysis.

A heterozygous mutation in the Wolfram syndrome type 1 gene (WFS1) causes autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hereditary hearing loss, DFNA6/14/38, or Wolfram-like syndrome. To date, more than 40 different mutations have been reported to be responsible for DFNA6/14/38. In the present study, WFS1 variants were screened in a large series of Japanese hearing loss (HL) patients to clarify the prevalence and clinical characteristics of DFNA6/14/38 and Wolfram-like syndrome. Massively parallel DNA sequencing of 68 target genes was performed in 2,549 unrelated Japanese HL patients to identify genomic variations responsible for HL. The detailed clinical features in patients with WFS1 variants were collected from medical charts and analyzed. We successfully identified 13 WFS1 variants in 19 probands: eight of the 13 variants were previously reported mutations, including three mutations (p.A684V, p.K836N, and p.E864K) known to cause Wolfram-like syndrome, and five were novel mutations. Variants were detected in 15 probands (2.5%) in 602 families with presumably autosomal dominant or mitochondrial HL, and in four probands (0.7%) in 559 sporadic cases; however, no variants were detected in the other 1,388 probands with autosomal recessive or unknown family history. Among the 30 individuals possessing variants, marked variations were observed in the onset of HL as well as in the presence of progressive HL and tinnitus. Vestibular symptoms, which had been rarely reported, were present in 7 out of 30 (23%) of the affected individuals. The most prevalent audiometric configuration was low-frequency type; however, some individuals had high-frequency HL. Haplotype analysis in three mutations (p.A716T, p.K836T, and p.E864K) suggested that the mutations occurred at these mutation hot spots. The present study provided new insights into the audiovestibular phenotypes in patients with WFS1 mutations.

Generation and Characterization of a Novel Small Biologic Alternative to Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) Antibodies, DS-9001a, Albumin Binding Domain-Fused Anticalin Protein.

Since it was recently reported that an antibody for proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) reduces the risk of cardiovascular events in a clinical context, PCSK9 inhibition is thought to be an attractive therapy for dyslipidemia. In the present study, we created a novel small biologic alternative to PCSK9 antibodies called DS-9001a, comprising an albumin binding domain fused to an artificial lipocalin mutein (ABD-fused Anticalin protein), which can be produced by a microbial production system. DS-9001a strongly interfered with PCSK9 binding to low-density-lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R) and PCSK9-mediated degradation of LDL-R. In cynomolgus monkeys, single DS-9001a administration significantly reduced the serum LDL-C level up to 21 days (62.4% reduction at the maximum). Moreover, DS-9001a reduced plasma non-high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and oxidized LDL levels, and their further reductions were observed when atorvastatin and DS-9001a were administered in combination in human cholesteryl ester transfer protein/ApoB double transgenic mice. Additionally, their reductions on the combination of atorvastatin and DS-9001a were more pronounced than those on the combination of atorvastatin and anacetrapib. Besides its favorable pharmacologic profile, DS-9001a has a lower molecular weight (about 22 kDa), yielding a high stoichiometric drug concentration that might result in a smaller administration volume than that in existing antibody therapy. Since bacterial production systems are viewed as more suited to mass production at low cost, DS-9001a may provide a new therapeutic option to treat patients with dyslipidemia. In addition, considering the growing demand for antibody-like drugs, ABD-fused Anticalin proteins could represent a promising new class of small biologic molecules.

A case of cochlear implantation in a patient with Epstein syndrome.

Epstein syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant platelet disorder characterized by thrombocytopenia, giant platelets, and sensorineural hearing loss. It is included among four overlapping syndromes, the others being May-Hegglin anomaly, Fechtner syndrome, and Sebastian syndrome. It is now established that all four disorders are caused by mutations in the MYH9 gene. We report the case of a patient with Epstein syndrome in whom bilateral profound hearing impairment developed and cochlear implantation was carried out. A cochlear implant was successfully used with a speech discrimination score of 100% on a Japanese sentence recognition test. This report offers the second description of the performance of a cochlear implant in a patient with Epstein syndrome. This case study may offer hope for patients and their family members with this kind of mutation.

A new species of the hoplichthyid genus Hoplichthys (Teleostei: Hoplichthyidae) from northern Western Australia.

A new species of hoplichthyid, Hoplichthys imamurai, is described on basis of three specimens (128.9-143.6 mm SL) collected from northern Western Australia. It is clearly distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: short preoptic snout (31.2-32.7% HL); vomer without teeth; long, thin, gill rakers; low first dorsal fin, its ad-pressed tips not reaching origin of second dorsal fin in males; some filament-like elongated second dorsal-fin rays in males; emarginate caudal fin, upper edge elongated and filament-like in males. Toothless vomer and form of caudal fin are characters unique to H. imamurai in this genus.

[A case of propranolol therapy for infantile capillary hemangiomas of the parotis].

A 4-month-old healthy female infant presented with rapid onset of subaural swelling over a three-month period. A head and neck exam demonstrated a subaural elastic hard mass with a red birthmark below the left auricle. MRI of the neck demonstrated a well-defined parotid mass consistent with a haemangioma. We treated this infant with 1 mg/kg of propranolol, which was gradually increased over two months to a dose of 2 mg/kg daily. The tumor began to reduce in size within three days after drug administration, and became less prominent in one month, and had almost totally disappeared within four months. On ten-month follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic and repeated MRI demonstrated further regression of the tumor. Propranolol could be the first-line choice for treating haemangioma rather than simple

DDX39, upregulated in lung squamous cell cancer, displays RNA helicase activities and promotes cancer cell growth.

To explore differentially expressed genes involved in non-small cell lung cancer progression, we used the gene expression profile database of various human tissues and identified DDX39, a new member of the DEAD box RNA helicases, showing overexpression in human lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) but not in lung adenocarcinoma (LAC). There existed three types of alternatively spliced DDX39 variants (DDX39-L, -S and -SS), of which only DDX39-L contains all the motifs required for RNA helicase activity. RT-PCR analysis verified the increased expression of DDX39-L in LSCC, but not LAC, cultured cells compared with normal bronchial epithelial cells. A high sequence similarity to UAP56 and punctate nuclear localization pattern of DDX39-L suggest that it plays a role in RNA splicing/export. Recombinant DDX39-L binds RNA, hydrolyzes NTPs in an RNA-dependent manner and unwinds double strand RNA bidirectionally, proving that DDX39 is an RNA helicase. Overexpression of DDX39-L stimulates colony formation of HeLa cells, probably through elevation of a translational level, indicating the biological significance of DDX39 in cancer pathogenesis. Thus, DDX39 is a novel RNA helicase capable of promoting cancer cell growth and, thereby, can be a potential target for development of a therapeutic strategy for LSCC.

Evaluation of cochlear nerve imaging in severe congenital sensorineural hearing loss.

The route of the cochlear nerve can be imaged using computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To gain information about the cochlear nerve, we conducted a trial measuring the width of the cochlear nerve canal (CNC) using CT. When we examined images of the route of the cochlear nerve on MRI, both in ears with congenital sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and normal ones, we found that in ears in which the CNC was narrower than 1.5 mm with CT, images of cochlear nerve deficiency could be seen in that ear with MRI.

Intracellular characterization of DDX39, a novel growth-associated RNA helicase.

DDX39 belongs to the DEAD box RNA helicase family and is overexpressed in human lung squamous cell carcinoma. In this study, in order to seek the biological relevance of DDX39, we conducted its intracellular characterization. When expressed in 293 cells, DDX39 undergoes heavy ubiquitylation and the stability of DDX39 is regulated via a ubiqutin-proteasome pathway. DDX39 tethers ALY, an essential mRNA export factor, in vivo, confirming the role of DDX39 in the RNA splicing/export process. Co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analyses detected CIP29, a recently discovered growth and cell cycle-related factor, as a main DDX39-interacting protein. CIP29 binds RNA on its own and enhances RNA unwinding activity of DDX39. Thus, CIP29 physically and functionally associates with DDX39, suggesting their cooperation in the RNA metabolism. Extension of the search for the protein-protein interactions encompassing DDX39 identified FUS/TLS, a nucleic acid binding protein participating in both transcription and splicing, as a CIP29-interacting protein. The connections comprising ALY, DDX39, CIP29 and FUS/TLS may be an integral part of transcription, splicing and RNA export. We simultaneously examined the properties of DDX39-S, a C-terminally truncated variant of DDX39 stemmed from alternative splicing, to understand its biological significance.

Novel inhibitors of human histone deacetylases: design, synthesis, enzyme inhibition, and cancer cell growth inhibition of SAHA-based non-hydroxamates.

To find novel non-hydroxamate histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, a series of compounds modeled after suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) was designed and synthesized. In this series, compound 7, in which the hydroxamic acid of SAHA is replaced by a thiol, was found to be as potent as SAHA, and optimization of this series led to the identification of HDAC inhibitors more potent than SAHA. In cancer cell growth inhibition assay, S-isobutyryl derivative 51 showed strong activity, and its potency was comparable to that of SAHA. The cancer cell growth inhibitory activity was verified to be the result of histone hyperacetylation and subsequent induction of p21(WAF1/CIP1) by Western blot analysis. Kinetical enzyme assay and molecular modeling suggest the thiol formed by enzymatic hydrolysis within the cell interacts with the zinc ion in the active site of HDACs.

A novel mitochondrial C1-tetrahydrofolate synthetase is upregulated in human colon adenocarcinoma.

To seek the genes involved in the development of colorectal cancer, we analyzed the microarray gene expression profiles of human normal and cancerous colon tissues using the BioExpress database platform. Through the analysis we found one gene named DKFZp586G1517 that was upregulated in colon adenocarcinomas. The full-length cDNA of the DKFZp586G1517 cloned by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) encodes a protein with 978 amino acids, which is homologous to the human cytosolic C(1)-tetrahydrofolate synthetase and contains a mitochondrial target signal at N-terminus. The gene product expressed in 293 cells was localized in mitochondria and processed at the predicted signal cleavage site, supporting the idea that DKFZp586G1517 is a novel mitochondrial C(1)-tetrahydrofolate synthetase (mtC(1)-THFS). The overexpression of mtC(1)-THFS in 293 cells stimulated the colony formation. These results suggest that mtC(1)-THFS may participate in the progression of colorectal cancer by conferring growth advantage and could be a new molecular target for cancer therapy.

Novel histone deacetylase inhibitors: design, synthesis, enzyme inhibition, and binding mode study of SAHA-based non-hydroxamates.

In order to find novel non-hydroxamate histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, a series of compounds modeled after suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) were designed and synthesized as (i). substrate (acetyl lysine) analogues (compounds 3-7), (ii). analogues bearing various functional groups expected to chelate zinc ion (compounds 8-15), and (iii). analogues bearing nucleophilic functional groups which could bind covalently to HDACs (compounds 16-18). In this series, semicarbazide 8b and bromoacetamides 18b,c were found to be potent HDAC inhibitors for non-hydroxamates.