ALDH2 dysfunction and alcohol cooperate in cancer stem cell enrichment.

The alcohol metabolite acetaldehyde is a potent human carcinogen linked to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) initiation and development. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is the primary enzyme that detoxifies acetaldehyde in the mitochondria. Acetaldehyde accumulation causes genotoxic stress in cells expressing the dysfunctional ALDH2E487K dominant negative mutant protein linked to ALDH2*2, the single nucleotide polymorphism highly prevalent among East Asians. Heterozygous ALDH2*2 increases the risk for the development of ESCC and other alcohol-related cancers. Despite its prevalence and link to malignant transformation, how ALDH2 dysfunction influences ESCC pathobiology is incompletely understood. Herein, we characterize how ESCC and preneoplastic cells respond to alcohol exposure using cell lines, three-dimensional organoids and xenograft models. We find that alcohol exposure and ALDH2*2 cooperate to increase putative ESCC cancer stem cells with high CD44 expression (CD44H cells) linked to tumor initiation, repopulation and therapy resistance. Concurrently, ALHD2*2 augmented alcohol-induced reactive oxygen species and DNA damage to promote apoptosis in the non-CD44H cell population. Pharmacological activation of ALDH2 by Alda-1 inhibits this phenotype, suggesting that acetaldehyde is the primary driver of these changes. Additionally, we find that Aldh2 dysfunction affects the response to cisplatin, a chemotherapeutic commonly used for the treatment of ESCC. Aldh2 dysfunction facilitated enrichment of CD44H cells following cisplatin-induced oxidative stress and cell death in murine organoids, highlighting a potential mechanism driving cisplatin resistance. Together, these data provide evidence that ALDH2 dysfunction accelerates ESCC pathogenesis through enrichment of CD44H cells in response to genotoxic stressors such as environmental carcinogens and chemotherapeutic agents.

Relationship between fatty liver change and nutritional status after total gastrectomy in gastric cancer patients: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between chronological nutritional changes and development of fatty liver after total gastrectomy (TG) in gastric cancer (GC) patients is still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate relationship between development of fatty liver and chronological changes of nutritional parameters during 12 months after TG. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 59 patients with GC who underwent TG at the Kanazawa Medical University Hospital between January 2009 and December 2017. We defined fatty liver change as a mean liver-to-spleen attenuation ratio (L/S ratio) of less than 1.2 in the computed tomography images at 12 months after TG and divided the patients into fatty liver (FL) and non-FL groups from the L/S ratio. We analyzed serum levels of total protein and albumin, and psoas muscle index (PMI) before TG and at 6 and 12 months after TG in the non-FL and FL groups. RESULTS: Six patients showed an L/S ratio of less than 1.2 at 12 months after TG and were included into FL group. There was no significant difference between the groups in serum parameters, L/S ratio, and PMI before TG. In the FL group, the mean levels of total protein and albumin decreased after TG and were significant lower at 6 months, compared with the non-FL group. And then, these levels in the FL group recovered at 12 months. In contrast, the mean levels of total protein and albumin in the non-FL group did not decrease below the preoperative levels throughout the year after surgery. As with laboratory parameters, all patients in the FL group showed decrease of PMI at 6 months after TG. This proportion was significantly higher than that in the non-FL group (100% vs. 40.8%, P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: We evaluated that the patients with fatty liver occurring after TG had significantly lower levels of serum nutritional parameters and skeletal muscle index at 6 months, not but 12 months, after TG.

[Role of Surgical Resection after Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer].

We investigated 34 cases of preoperative chemoradiotherapy(CRT)for locally advanced pancreatic cancer including resectable pancreatic cancer in our department during the past 11 years. For resectable(R)or borderline resectable(BR)pancreatic cancer, survival curves were generally higher in the CRT plus S-1 group treated after CRT than in the CRT group treated with post-CRT chemotherapy, but there was no statistically significant difference. In non-resected cases, local exacerbation was observed, which was one of the causes of a decline in terminal QOL. From the above, at present, it is desirable to remove R or BR pancreatic cancer after CRT, but the significance of surgery may change in the future due to the improvement of multidisciplinary treatment.

[Significance of Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy for Resectable Pancreatic Cancer].

We investigated the effect of chemoradiotherapy(CRT)on pancreatic cancer and the significance of preoperative chemoradiotherapy( NACRT)on resectable pancreatic cancer. The subjects were 36 patients who underwent CRT for locally advanced pancreatic cancer experienced in our department in the past 12 years(. 1)Regarding the antitumor effect of CRT, tumor diameter, tumor marker, and FDG for PET examination were reduced in 72%, 81%, and 96% of cases, respectively. In addition, the effect of Grade 1b plus 2 was observed in 10 of 16 patients who were resected after CRT(response rate 63%). In these successful cases, irradiation of 40 Gy or more and oral administration of S-1 1,500 mg or more were performed during this period. In addition, the survival rate of the NACRT plus S group(16 cases)was the same as that of the SF group (20 cases)of cStage ⅡA or lower at the same time, 50% survival was longer, and local recurrence was less. Based on the above, preoperative chemoradiotherapy combined with S-1 for resectable pancreatic cancer may be a promising preoperative treatment in the future.

The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of successful conversion surgery for stage IV gastric cancer: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Conversion surgery (CS) following a response to chemotherapy occasionally leads to prolonged survival in patients with stage IV gastric cancer (GC). This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for the success of CS in patients with stage IV GC. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data of 50 patients with stage IV GC who received systemic chemotherapy between January 2009 and December 2017 at the Kanazawa Medical University Hospital. The successful CS group included the patients who underwent R0 or R1 resection with CS, and the failed CS group included the patients who did not undergo CS after chemotherapy or those who, despite undergoing CS, had to additionally undergo R2 resection. Clinicopathological characteristics were examined in both groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify pretherapeutic parameters that were independently associated with the achievement of successful CS. RESULTS: The number of patients in the successful and failed CS groups were 12 and 38, respectively. On univariate analysis, gender (P = 0.01), NLR (P = 0.003), albumin levels (P = 0.004), and absence of peritoneal metastasis (P = 0.004) were found to be significantly correlated with a successful CS. On multivariate analysis, NLR < 4 and absence of peritoneal metastasis were independently correlated with a successful CS (P = 0.02 and P = 0.002, respectively). In patients without peritoneal metastasis, successful CS rates in patients with NLR < 4 were significantly higher than those in patients with NLR ≥ 4 (61.1% vs. 10.0%, P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The NLR was a significant independent predictor of the achievement of successful CS in stage IV GC patients, especially among the patients without peritoneal metastasis. Patients with a low NLR could have higher possibility of achieving successful CS.

Prophylactic efficacy of ninjin'yoeito for oxaliplatin-induced cumulative peripheral neuropathy in patients with colorectal cancer receiving postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy: a randomized, open-label, phase 2 trial (HOPE-2).

PURPOSE: Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is an intractable side effect of oxaliplatin, with no effective prophylaxis so far. Ninjin'yoeito (NYT), a Kampo medicine, is protective against oxaliplatin-induced neuronal cell injury in vitro and ameliorates oxaliplatin-induced PN in vivo. Thus, this randomized controlled trial was aimed at clarifying NYT's prophylactic effect for oxaliplatin-induced cumulative PN. METHODS: 52 patients with colorectal cancers of pathological stage 3 received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with the CapeOX regimen: eight cycles of capecitabine (2400 mg/m2) plus oxaliplatin (130 mg/m2) at 3-week intervals. They were randomly assigned to NYT administration and non-administration groups. NYT (9.0 g/day) was administered from day 1 of cycle 1 in the NYT group. The NYT was administered orally daily throughout each cycle. The primary endpoint was the grade of cumulative PN at the end of eight cycles. The secondary endpoints included relative dose intensity (RDI) of oxaliplatin, recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: 40 patients (n = 20 in both groups) completed 8 chemotherapy cycles. The incidence of grade 2 or greater cumulative PN at the 8th chemotherapy cycle was significantly lower in the NYT group (2/20, 10.0%) than in the control group (11/20, 55.0%, P < 0.01). RDI of oxaliplatin was significantly higher in the NYT group than in the control group (P = 0.02). RFS and OS were better in the NYT group than in the control group, but the difference was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: NYT may reduce the incidence of oxaliplatin-induced cumulative PN and facilitate maintenance of the CapeOX dosing regimen.

[A Case of Effective Disease Control of Advanced Gastric Cancer with Distant Lymph Node Metastases Following Nivolumab Treatment].

A 66-year-old man was diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer(L, Less, Type 2, T4a[SE], N2, M1[LYM], H0, P0, cStage Ⅳ)and received treatment with S-1/cisplatin as first-line chemotherapy. This treatment resulted in partial response(PR) after 3 months, with reduction in the sizes of metastatic lymph nodes surrounding the pancreatic head and paraaortic lesion. However, the sizes of metastatic lymph nodes increased after 7 months of chemotherapy. Ramucirumab/nab-paclitaxel was then administered as second-line chemotherapy, and the diameter of the metastatic lymph nodes subsequently decreased after 4 months of the regimen. However, progressive disease was observed at 7 months, and blood transfusion was required because of bleeding from the primary gastric tumor. Therefore, nivolumab was initiated as third-line chemotherapy 14 months after the first treatment. After nivolumab administration, a 28% reduction in metastatic lymph nodes was achieved within 3 months, together with the regression of the primary gastric tumor and improvement in anemia within 6 months. PR was achieved after 12 months of nivolumab administration, and effective disease control was maintained for 16 months without any adverse reaction to nivolumab.

The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of peritoneal metastasis during staging laparoscopy for advanced gastric cancer: a retrospective cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: The use of staging laparoscopy (SL) has become widespread in patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC). This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for the presence of peritoneal metastasis during staging laparoscopy in patients with advanced GC. METHODS: This retrospective analysis was performed in 35 patients with advanced GC who underwent SL at Kanazawa Medical University Hospital between January 2009 and December 2017. Clinicopathological characteristics were examined and multivariate analyses were performed to identify preoperative laboratory parameters that were independently associated with the presence of peritoneal metastasis or cytological malignancy (P/CY positive) during SL. RESULTS: A P/CY-positive result was confirmed during SL in 16 patients (45.7%). Patients with type 4 or diffuse type 3 tumors showed a significantly higher P/CY-positive rate than those with other tumor types (58.3% vs. 18.2%, P = 0.02). In the univariate analysis for preoperative laboratory parameters, NLR (P < 0.0001) and total protein (P = 0.03) and albumin (P = 0.04) levels were significantly correlated with a P/CY-positive result. On multivariate analysis, NLR was significantly correlated with a P/CY-positive result (P = 0.0002). In patients with type 4 or diffuse type 3 tumors, a high NLR (> 3.5) was associated with a significantly higher P/CY-positive rate than a low NLR (≤ 3.5) (83.3% vs. 33.3%, P = 0.01). Moreover, in patients without type 4 or diffuse type 3 tumors, the P/CY-positive rates were 100% and 0% in patients with NLR > 3.5 and NLR ≤ 3.5, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The preoperative NLR was a significant independent predictor of the presence of peritoneal metastasis during SL. Regardless of tumor type, patients with a high NLR could be reasonable candidates for SL. On the other hand, non-diffuse type tumor accompanied by a low NLR may not need to undergo SL.

[A Case of Sigmoid Cancer with Six Asynchronistic Metastases to Multiple Organs That Were Resected through Four Surgeries].

A 49-year-old man underwent sigmoidectomy for the diagnosis of type 2 sigmoid cancer. Pathological findings showed a tumor 3.5×4.0cm in size, type 2, pSS, ly2, v1, pN0, cH0, cP0, cM0, pStageⅡ, R0. Asynchronistic metastases to the liver and lungs were subsequently found. Left hepatectomy was performed for 1 liver metastasis, and 4lung metastases were resected through 3 surgeries. A subcutaneous tumor in an abdominal wall scar was also resected in the 4th surgery for metastasis resection. All pathological diagnoses were metastases from sigmoid cancer, and complete curative resection was possible. The final surgery was performed 1 year and 1 month prior, and the patient has now survived without recurrence for 10 years and 2 months after sigmoidectomy. Chemotherapy was not administered during the whole course. This case shows that longterm survival is possible with repeated resection of recurrent metastasis of sigmoid cancer.

[Long-Term Survival Due to Combination Therapy in a Patient with Locally Advanced Body-Tail Pancreatic Cancer].

A 49-year-old man was referred to a neighboring hospital with a chief complaint of abdominal pain.He was diagnosed with locally advanced body-tail pancreatic cancer that had invaded the celiac artery and SMA.He came to our department after undergoing radiotherapy, 2.5 Gy×22 Fr, and chemotherapy with gemcitabine(GEM)and S-1.The same chemotherapy was continued for 15 months until DIC occurred.He was subsequently treated with GEM only and then S-1 only in sequence for 6 years.We decided to stop the chemotherapy because the original lesion had been stable for a long time.After 1 month, a hard nodule appeared in the subcutaneous layer of the navel.Although resection was performed and he received chemotherapy, he died after surviving a total of 7 years and 10 months.This case is important when considering whether to discontinue chemotherapy with a stable long-term pancreatic cancer patient.

[Prognosis of Conversion Gastrectomy Cases for Stage IV Gastric Cancer].

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the efficacy of surgical resection following response to primary chemotherapy for prospective registered Stage IV gastric cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed the details and prognosis of 6 patients having advanced gastric cancer clinically diagnosed as resectable following primary chemotherapy between 2011 and 2015. RESULTS: The reason for being diagnosed as unresectable before chemotherapy was metastasis to distant sites, including paraaortic lymph node metastasis in 3 cases, peritoneal metastasis in 2 cases, and liver metastasis in 1 case.Two patients were able to undergo R0 resection, and the remaining 4 patients were unable to undergo complete resection.The median survival time (MST)of the patients who underwent R0 resection was 567.5 days, and the MST of the patients who could not undergo R0 resection was 474 days. CONCLUSION: Careful consideration of conversion gastrectomy may be important in inducing longterm survival in clinical Stage IV gastric cancer patients.

[Radical Resection of cT3a Gallbladder Cancer after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy - A Case Report].

We report a case of a radical resection of cT3a gallbladder cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC). A 68-year-old man was referred to our hospital with a chief complaint of right hypochondralgia.Imaging findings were consistent with acute cholecystitis with a stone at the neck of the gallbladder, and advanced gallbladder cancer with infiltration into segments 4 and 5 from the fundus of the gallbladder, Gfb, cT3a(liver), cN1(8a), cM0, cStage III B, was diagnosed on staging laparoscopy. The patient received 3 courses of GEM plus CDDP NAC.The response to the treatment included reduction of the main tumor by 35%, diminished accumulation of FDG at the 8a lymph node, and decrease in serum CA19-9, from 163 U/mL to 75 U/mL. Cholecystectomy with the gallbladder bed and regional lymphadenectomy were performed.The histologic examination revealed extensive necrosis and degeneration of cancer cells in the infiltrating lesions, and the therapeutic effect was judged as Grade I b.The patient has now survived for 11 months without recurrence.

[Treatment Outcomes of Advanced Gastric Cancer after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy with S-1 and Cisplatin].

BACKGROUND: The prognosis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)is expected to improve in patients with resectable advanced gastric cancer who are at high risk of recurrence or those with unfavorable prognostic factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study examined treatment outcomes and survival of 25 patients with advanced gastric cancer who received NAC with S-1 and cisplatin(CDDP)between October 2008 and December 2015. RESULTS: Among patients with clinical Stage II (4 patients)and III (21 patients)tumors, 13 had partial response(PR)and 12 had stable disease(SD). Neither complete response(CR)nor progressive disease(PD)was noted. CR of lymph node metastases was observed in 6 patients, PR in 9 patients, and SD in 7 patients. R0 resection was performed in 16 patients, R1 in 3 patients, and R2 in 6 patients. Histologic grades of primary tumors were Grade 0(1 patient), Grade 1a(16 patients), Grade 1b(5 patients), Grade 2(3 patients), and Grade 3(none). The 3-year survival rate after R0 resection was 46%, 3-year progression-free survival rate was 68%, and 3-year recurrence-free survival rate was 69%. Significant differences were observed for pathologic stages ypN0/1, 2, and 3(p=0.04), tumor down-stage(p=0.02), and overall tumor fStage I , II / III , and IV (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: It is conceivable that R0 resection and downstaging after NAC will improve prognosis.

[Clinical Analysis of Esophageal Bypass Surgery with Nutritional Assessment in Patients with Unresectable Esophageal Cancer].

BACKGROUND: Esophageal bypass surgery is palliative surgery for unresectable esophageal cancer with esophageal stenosis, which often leads to poor nutrition. We investigated the clinical characteristics, nutritional status, and outcomes of patients who underwent esophageal bypass surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed 11 cases of esophageal bypass surgery for unresectable esophageal cancer performed in our hospital between 1992 and 2015, and we examined the surgical outcome along with preoperative nutritional assessment. RESULTS: There were 1, 9, and 1 cases of cStage Ⅲ, Ⅳa, and Ⅳb, respectively. For the bypass, a gastric tube was used in 8 cases and colon reconstruction in 3. Postoperative complications were 1 case of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (9%), 4 cases of anastomotic leakage (36%), and 4 cases of pneumonia (36%). The preoperative nutritional status (total protein, albumin, and cholinesterase levels) in the esophageal bypass group (n=11) was significantly worse than that in the esophagectomy group (n=40). The median survival of all patients (n=11) was 5.7 months. Patients receiving induction chemoradiotherapy followed by bypass surgery (n=7) had a median survival of 15.2 months. CONCLUSION: Since patients undergoing esophageal bypass surgery often present with malnutrition, attention to anastomotic leakage and infectious complications is necessary.

[A Case of Gastric and Pancreatic Cancer Resected with Curative Intent while Preserving Organ Function].

A 57-year-old woman was diagnosed with a pancreatic tumor. Abdominal computed tomography showed cStage Ⅳa pancreatic cancer with a 20×16 mm tumor near the base of the celiac artery. Since the tumor contacted the SMA at an angle of 90 degrees, it was judged as a borderline resectable tumor. In addition, cStage ⅠB gastric cancer was found in the corpus ventriculi. Since the patient had a respiratory complication, a distal pancreatectomy with celiac axis resection in combination with a total gastrectomy was considered too aggressive for this patient. Therefore, she received chemoradiotherapy prior to the surgery. Distal pancreatectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy and subtotal gastrectomy with lower left phrenic artery preservation was performed. This case involved a considerable extension of the disease and radical surgery; however, currently the patient's prognosis and QOL are good.

[A Successful Case of Treatment of Colonic Metastasis and Peritoneal Recurrence of Type 4 Gastric Cancer by Using Colectomy and Chemotherapy].

We present a successful case of treatment of colonic metastasis and peritoneal recurrence of type 4 gastric cancer by using colectomy and chemotherapy. A 70-year-old woman with a diagnosis of type 4 advanced gastric cancer underwent distal gastrectomy. The final pathological diagnosis was LM, circ, type 4, sig, pT4a (SE), ly1, v1, pN1, M0, P0, CY0, pStage Ⅲa. Adjuvant chemotherapy was conducted with oral administration of S-1, though regrettably the chemotherapy was interrupted because of diarrhea, an adverse effect of S-1. Metastatic recurrence occurred on the transverse colon, for which she underwent transverse colectomy 2.9 years after the initial surgery. Another colonic metastasis in the ascending colon along with peritoneal recurrence was diagnosed 3.11 years after the initial surgery, and the patient underwent a palliative colostomy and received chemotherapy with S-1 plus docetaxel. She was successfully treated up to a clinical CR with chemotherapy, and she died 5.10 years after the initial surgery. In this case, a good prognosis was obtained through the combination of resection of the recurrence sites, palliative surgery for avoiding obstruction, and chemotherapy using S-1 plus docetaxel for metachronous multiple metastases.

[A patient with invasive carcinoma derived from IPMN who achieved long-term survival despite lymph node metastasis].

A woman in her 70s was referred for examination of liver dysfunction. A cystic lesion with irregular contrast was observed at the pancreas head. The bile and pancreatic ducts were obstructed by the lesion. Part of the branch of the pancreatic duct at the pancreas head, continuous with the main pancreatic duct, was observed to be extended by using pancreatography. Pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed, and a diagnosis of invasive carcinoma from an intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) was made. Postoperative pathological diagnosis showed 16b1 inter-node metastasis. Liver and lung metastases were also detected after surgery; nevertheless, long-term survival was achieved for 5 years and 2 months by using various treatment modalities.

[Evaluation of combination chemotherapy with docetaxel and nedaplatin in patients with advanced or recurrent esophageal cancer].

BACKGROUND: There is no standard regimen after failure of 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin-based first-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced or recurrent esophageal cancer. The feasibility of combination chemotherapy with docetaxel (DOC) and nedaplatin (CDGP) for these patients was retrospectively evaluated. METHODS: Patients received DOC (30 mg/m² intra- venously) and CDGP (30-40 mg/m² intravenously) on days 1 and 15 of each 4-week period. The efficacy and toxicity of combination chemotherapy with DOC and CDGP in 13 patients was analyzed. RESULTS: The patients received a median of 2 cycles of treatment(range, 1-23). The response and disease control rates were 8% and 54%, respectively. Grade 3 or 4 hematological toxicities were neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia, observed in 4(31%), 11(15%), and 2 patients (15%), respectively. Non-hematological toxicity, anorexia, was detected in only 1 patient(8%). No treatment-related death was observed. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 3.2 and 11.6 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Combination chemotherapy with DOC and CDGP is considered a feasible regimen for refractory esophageal cancer.

Prognostic factors in T4b gastric cancer after surgery: A more balanced and sequential therapy for patients?

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic factors in T4b gastric cancer (GC) in order to improve future therapeutic strategies. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 43 patients with advanced GC who underwent surgery and were surgically or pathologically diagnosed with T4b GC. The overall survival (OS) rate of patients with T4b GC was analyzed, and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify clinicopathological factors that were independently associated with OS. In addition, we assessed the relationship between postoperative chemotherapy and laboratory parameters 4 weeks post-surgery. RESULTS: The proportion of patients with invasion of cancer in organs, including the pancreas, transverse colon, and liver, were 58.1%, 18.6%, and 14.0%, respectively. The proportion of patients who exhibited distant metastases was 44.2%, and R0 resection was achieved in 30.2% of patients. A total of 69.8% of patients underwent postoperative chemotherapy. The median survival rate was 12.3 months. Upon multivariate analysis, the presence of distant metastases (P = 0.01, HR; 3.48), the use of postoperative chemotherapy (P = 0.0004, HR; 0.12), and R0 resection (P < 0.0001, HR; 0.14) were significantly correlated with OS. Patients who did not undergo postoperative chemotherapy showed significantly higher levels of inflammatory parameters and lower levels of nutritional parameters 4 weeks after surgery than those who did. CONCLUSIONS: We evaluated that the presence of distant metastases was significantly associated with a poor prognosis, and the use of postoperative chemotherapy and R0 resection was significantly associated with a better prognosis in patients with T4b GC. It would be more important for a T4b GC treatment to balance between therapeutic tolerance for postoperative chemotherapy and surgical therapeutic effect.

Modeling epithelial homeostasis and perturbation in three-dimensional human esophageal organoids.

Background: Esophageal organoids from a variety of pathologies including cancer are grown in Advanced Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium-Nutrient Mixture F12 (hereafter ADF). However, the currently available ADF-based formulations are suboptimal for normal human esophageal organoids, limiting the ability to compare normal esophageal organoids with those representing a given disease state. Methods: We have utilized immortalized normal human esophageal epithelial cell (keratinocyte) lines EPC1 and EPC2 and endoscopic normal esophageal biopsies to generate three-dimensional (3D) organoids. To optimize ADF-based medium, we evaluated the requirement of exogenous epidermal growth factor (EGF) and inhibition of transforming growth factor-(TGF)-ß receptor-mediated signaling, both key regulators of proliferation of human esophageal keratinocytes. We have modeled human esophageal epithelial pathology by stimulating esophageal 3D organoids with interleukin (IL)-13, an inflammatory cytokine, or UAB30, a novel pharmacological activator of retinoic acid signaling. Results: The formation of normal human esophageal 3D organoids was limited by excessive EGF and intrinsic TGFß receptor-mediated signaling. In optimized HOME0, normal human esophageal organoid formation was improved, whereas IL-13 and UAB30 induced epithelial changes reminiscent of basal cell hyperplasia, a common histopathologic feature in broad esophageal disease conditions including eosinophilic esophagitis. Conclusions: HOME0 allows modeling of the homeostatic differentiation gradient and perturbation of the human esophageal epithelium while permitting a comparison of organoids from mice and other organs grown in ADF-based media.