Yuichi Ishikawa

The prognostic impact of KIT mutation on core-binding factor acute myeloid leukemia (CBF-AML) remains controversial. We registered 199 newly diagnosed de novo CBF-AML patients, aged 16 to 64 years, who achieved complete remission. They received 3 courses of high-dose cytarabine therapy and no further treatment until hematological relapse. Mutations in exons 8, 10-11, and 17 of the KIT gene were analyzed. Furthermore, we analyzed mutations in 56 genes that are frequently identified in myeloid mal

Several species of mRNA have been shown to encode the alpha subunit of the stimulatory GTP-binding regulatory protein, Gs alpha. The various Gs alpha mRNAs are generated through alternative splicing of a single precursor RNA and through the use of alternative acceptor splice sites. We now report the existence of a Gs alpha mRNA that uses a previously unidentified promoter and leading exon (termed exon 1'). In both the canine and human Gs alpha genes, exon 1' is located 2.5 kilobases 5' of exon 1

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with t(6;11) translocation, involving the transcription factor EB (TFEB) and Alpha, also known as MALATI, (TFEB RCC), is extremely rare, with only 20 cases reported to date. It may be frequently misdiagnosed because of a lack of established characteristics. TFEB RCCs are predominantly seen in younger patients and are generally indolent, with only 2 cases of metastasis. Genetic analysis has been limited, showing break points upstream of TFEB exon 3, yielding only a sing

Pharmacokinetic (PK) factors have been suggested to be involved in the unfavorable clinical responses of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients treated with imatinib. The purpose of this study was to clarify prognostic implications of PK factors in CML patients treated with imatinib. The plasma trough (C(min)) level of imatinib and serum α(1)-acid glycoprotein (AGP) level were measured on two different days in 65 CML patients treated with imatinib for more than 12 months. We further examined wh

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been thought to be the consequence of two broad complementation classes of mutations: class I and class II. However, overlap-mutations between them or within the same class and the position of TP53 mutation are not fully analyzed. We comprehensively analyzed the FLT3, cKIT, N-RAS, C/EBPA, AML1, MLL, NPM1, and TP53 mutations in 144 newly diagnosed de novo AML. We found 103 of 165 identified mutations were overlapped with other mutations, and most overlap-mutations

FLT3 mutation is found in about 30% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and is associated with a poor prognosis. Several FLT3 inhibitors are undergoing investigation, while their clinical efficacies were lower than expected and several resistant mechanisms to FLT3 inhibitors have been demonstrated. Although most AML cells harboring FLT3 mutation co-express wild-type (Wt)-FLT3, it is not fully understood how Wt-FLT3 expression is associated with the resistance to FLT3 inhibitors. In this stu

Patients with small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) rarely demonstrate long-term survival. We previously reported that gene expression profiling identified a subset of SCLC with good prognosis in surgical cases. To find an easier way to routinely identify SCLC belonging to this subset, we conducted the present study with a hypothesis that neuroendocrine (NE) or basaloid (BA) phenotypes may influence prognosis. To confirm the subset, we used an array platform to analyze fresh samples. Because inoperab

Volasertib, a selective PLK1 inhibitor, was effective for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients in clinical trials. However, its efficacy was limited in mono-therapy, and a higher incidence of fatal events was revealed in the combination with low-dose cytarabine. Thus, optimization of combination therapy with volasertib and other agents is necessary for its clinical development, and the predictive factors for response or resistance to volasertib remain largely unknown. In this study, we investig

Lung adenocarcinomas in situ (AISs) often occur in individuals who have never smoked, although smoking is one of the main causes of lung cancer. To characterize AIS and, in particular, determine how AIS might be related to smoking, we collected a large number of AIS cases and examined clinicopathologic features, EGFR and KRAS mutation status, and activation status of receptor tyrosine kinase downstream signal pathways, including pAkt, pERK, and pStat3, using immunohistochemistry. We identified 1