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Fulltext Social and communicative functions of informed consent forms in East Asia and beyond

Yoshizawa G, Sasongko TH, Ho CH, Kato K

Front Genet, 2017;8:99.
PMID: 28775738 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2017.00099

The recent research and technology development in medical genomics has raised new issues that are profoundly different from those encountered in traditional clinical research for which informed consent was developed. Global initiatives for international collaboration and public participation in genomics research now face an increasing demand for new forms of informed consent which reflect local contexts. This article analyzes informed consent forms (ICFs) for genomic research formulated by four selected research programs and institutes in East Asia - the Medical Genome Science Program in Japan, Universiti Sains Malaysia Human Research Ethics Committee in Malaysia, and the Taiwan Biobank and the Taipei Medical University- Joint Institutional Review Board in Taiwan. The comparative text analysis highlights East Asian contexts as distinct from other regions by identifying communicative and social functions of consent forms. The communicative functions include re-contact options and offering interactive support for research participants, and setting opportunities for family or community engagement in the consent process. This implies that informed consent cannot be validated solely with the completion of a consent form at the initial stage of the research, and informed consent templates can facilitate interactions between researchers and participants through (even before and after) the research process. The social functions consist of informing participants of possible social risks that include genetic discrimination, sample and data sharing, and highlighting the role of ethics committees. Although international ethics harmonization and the subsequent coordination of consent forms may be necessary to maintain the quality and consistency of consent process for data-intensive international research, it is also worth paying more attention to the local values and different settings that exist where research participants are situated for research in medical genomics. More than simply tools to gain consent from research participants, ICFs function rather as a device of social communication between research communities and civic communities in liaison with intermediary agents like ethics committees, genetic counselors, and public biobanks and databases.
Chromosomal Locations of a Non-LTR Retrotransposon, Menolird18, in Cucumis melo and Cucumis sativus, and Its Implication on Genome Evolution of Cucumis Species

Setiawan AB, Teo CH, Kikuchi S, Sassa H, Kato K, Koba T

Cytogenet Genome Res, 2020;160(9):554-564.
PMID: 33171461 DOI: 10.1159/000511119

Mobile elements are major regulators of genome evolution through their effects on genome size and chromosome structure in higher organisms. Non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposons, one of the subclasses of transposons, are specifically inserted into repetitive DNA sequences. While studies on the insertion of non-LTR retrotransposons into ribosomal RNA genes and other repetitive DNA sequences have been reported in the animal kingdom, studies in the plant kingdom are limited. Here, using FISH, we confirmed that Menolird18, a member of LINE (long interspersed nuclear element) in non-LTR retrotransposons and found in Cucumis melo, was inserted into ITS and ETS (internal and external transcribed spacers) regions of 18S rDNA in melon and cucumber. Beside the 18S rDNA regions, Menolird18 was also detected in all centromeric regions of melon, while it was located at pericentromeric and sub-telomeric regions in cucumber. The fact that FISH signals of Menolird18 were found in centromeric and rDNA regions of mitotic chromosomes suggests that Menolird18 is a rDNA and centromere-specific non-LTR retrotransposon in melon. Our findings are the first report on a non-LTR retrotransposon that is highly conserved in 2 different plant species, melon and cucumber. The clear distinction of chromosomal localization of Menolird18 in melon and cucumber implies that it might have been involved in the evolutionary processes of the melon (C. melo) and cucumber (C. sativus) genomes.
Fulltext Centromeres of Cucumis melo L. comprise Cmcent and two novel repeats, CmSat162 and CmSat189

Setiawan AB, Teo CH, Kikuchi S, Sassa H, Kato K, Koba T

PLoS One, 2020;15(1):e0227578.
PMID: 31945109 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227578

Centromeres are prerequisite for accurate segregation and are landmarks of primary constrictions of metaphase chromosomes in eukaryotes. In melon, high-copy-number satellite DNAs (SatDNAs) were found at various chromosomal locations such as centromeric, pericentromeric, and subtelomeric regions. In the present study, utilizing the published draft genome sequence of melon, two new SatDNAs (CmSat162 and CmSat189) of melon were identified and their chromosomal distributions were confirmed using fluorescence in situ hybridization. DNA probes prepared from these SatDNAs were successfully hybridized to melon somatic and meiotic chromosomes. CmSat162 was located on 12 pairs of melon chromosomes and co-localized with the centromeric repeat, Cmcent, at the centromeric regions. In contrast, CmSat189 was found to be located not only on centromeric regions but also on specific regions of the chromosomes, allowing the characterization of individual chromosomes of melon. It was also shown that these SatDNAs were transcribed in melon. These results suggest that CmSat162 and CmSat189 might have some functions at the centromeric regions.
Fulltext Epizootology and experimental infection of Yokose virus in bats

Watanabe S, Omatsu T, Miranda ME, Masangkay JS, Ueda N, Endo M, et al.

Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis, 2010 Jan;33(1):25-36.
PMID: 18789527 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2008.07.008

To reveal whether bats serve as an amplifying host for Yokose virus (YOKV), we conducted a serological survey and experimentally infected fruit bats with YOKV isolated from microbats in Japan. YOKV belongs to the Entebbe bat virus group of vector unknown group within the genus Flavivirus and family Flaviviridae. To detect antibodies against YOKV, we developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using biotinylated anti-bat IgG rabbit sera. Serological surveillance was conducted with samples collected in the Philippines and the sera supplied from Malaysia. One of the 36 samples from the Philippines (2.7%) and 5 of the 26 samples from Malaysia (19%) had detectable ELISA antibodies. In the experimental infections, no clinical signs of disease were observed. Moreover, no significant viral genome amplification was detected. These findings revealed that YOKV replicates poorly in the fruit bat, suggesting that fruit bats do not seem to serve as an amplifying host for YOKV.
Fulltext Curculin exhibits sweet-tasting and taste-modifying activities through its distinct molecular surfaces

Kurimoto E, Suzuki M, Amemiya E, Yamaguchi Y, Nirasawa S, Shimba N, et al.

J Biol Chem, 2007 Nov 16;282(46):33252-33256.
PMID: 17895249 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.C700174200

Curculin isolated from Curculigo latifolia, a plant grown in Malaysia, has an intriguing property of modifying sour taste into sweet taste. In addition to this taste-modifying activity, curculin itself elicits a sweet taste. Although these activities have been attributed to the heterodimeric isoform and not homodimers of curculin, the underlying mechanisms for the dual action of this protein have been largely unknown. To identify critical sites for these activities, we performed a mutational and structural study of recombinant curculin. Based on the comparison of crystal structures of curculin homo- and heterodimers, a series of mutants was designed and subjected to tasting assays. Mapping of amino acid residues on the three-dimensional structure according to their mutational effects revealed that the curculin heterodimer exhibits sweet-tasting and taste-modifying activities through its partially overlapping but distinct molecular surfaces. These findings suggest that the two activities of the curculin heterodimer are expressed through its two different modes of interactions with the T1R2-T1R3 heterodimeric sweet taste receptor.
A summary of the imported cases of Chikungunya fever in Japan from 2006 to June 2016

Nakayama E, Tajima S, Kotaki A, Shibasaki KI, Itokawa K, Kato K, et al.

J Travel Med, 2018 01 01;25(1).
PMID: 29394382 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/tax072

Background: Due to the huge 2-way human traffic between Japan and Chikungunya (CHIK) fever-endemic regions, 89 imported cases of CHIK fever were confirmed in Japan from January 2006 to June 2016. Fifty-four of 89 cases were confirmed virologically and serologically at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan and we present the demographic profiles of the patients and the phylogenetic features of 14 CHIK virus (CHIKV) isolates.
Methods: Patients were diagnosed with CHIK fever by a combination of virus isolation, viral RNA amplification, IgM antibody-, IgG antibody-, and/or neutralizing antibody detection. The whole-genome sequences of the CHIKV isolates were determined by next-generation sequencing.
Results: Prior to 2014, the source countries of the imported CHIK fever cases were limited to South and Southeast Asian countries. After 2014, when outbreaks occurred in the Pacific and Caribbean Islands and Latin American countries, there was an increase in the number of imported cases from these regions. A phylogenetic analysis of 14 isolates revealed that four isolates recovered from three patients who returned from Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Angola, belonged to the East/Central/South African genotype, while 10 isolates from 10 patients who returned from Indonesia, the Philippines, Tonga, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Colombia and Cuba, belonged to the Asian genotype.
Conclusion: Through the phylogenetic analysis of the isolates, we could predict the situations of the CHIK fever epidemics in Indonesia, Angola and Cuba. Although Japan has not yet experienced an autochthonous outbreak of CHIK fever, the possibility of the future introduction of CHIKV through an imported case and subsequent local transmission should be considered, especially during the mosquito-active season. The monitoring and reporting of imported cases will be useful to understand the situation of the global epidemic, to increase awareness of and facilitate the diagnosis of CHIK fever, and to identify a future CHIK fever outbreak in Japan.
Fulltext Pan-Asian adapted ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for the management of patients with metastatic oesophageal cancer: a JSMO-ESMO initiative endorsed by CSCO, KSMO, MOS, SSO and TOS

Muro K, Lordick F, Tsushima T, Pentheroudakis G, Baba E, Lu Z, et al.

Ann Oncol, 2019 Jan 01;30(1):34-43.
PMID: 30475943 DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdy498

The most recent version of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Clinical Practice Guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of oesophageal cancer was published in 2016, and covered the management and treatment of local/locoregional disease, limited disease, locally advanced disease and the management of advanced/metastatic disease. At the ESMO Asia Meeting in November 2017 it was decided by both ESMO and the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology (JSMO) to convene a special guidelines meeting immediately after the JSMO Annual Meeting in 2018. The aim was to adapt the ESMO 2016 guidelines to take into account the ethnic differences associated with the treatment of metastatic oesophageal cancer in Asian patients. These guidelines represent the consensus opinions reached by experts in the treatment of patients with metastatic oesophageal cancer representing the oncological societies of Japan (JSMO), China (CSCO), Korea (KSMO), Malaysia (MOS), Singapore (SSO) and Taiwan (TOS). The voting was based on scientific evidence, and was independent of both the current treatment practices and the drug availability and reimbursement situations in the individual participating Asian countries.
Fulltext Pan-Asian adapted ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for the management of patients with metastatic gastric cancer: a JSMO-ESMO initiative endorsed by CSCO, KSMO, MOS, SSO and TOS

Muro K, Van Cutsem E, Narita Y, Pentheroudakis G, Baba E, Li J, et al.

Ann Oncol, 2019 Jan 01;30(1):19-33.
PMID: 30475956 DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdy502

The most recent version of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Clinical Practice Guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of gastric cancer (GC) was published in 2016, and covered the management and treatment of local, locoregional, locally advanced and metastatic disease. At the ESMO Asia Meeting in November 2017 it was decided by both ESMO and The Japanese Society of Medical Oncology (JSMO) to convene a special guidelines meeting immediately after the JSMO Annual Meeting in 2018. The aim was to adapt the ESMO 2016 guidelines to take into account the ethnic differences associated with the treatment of metastatic GC in Asian patients. These guidelines represent the consensus opinions reached by experts in the treatment of patients with metastatic GC representing the oncological societies of Japan (JSMO), China (CSCO), Korea (KSMO), Malaysia (MOS), Singapore (SSO) and Taiwan (TOS). The voting was based on scientific evidence and was independent of both the current treatment practices and the drug availability and reimbursement situations in the individual participating Asian countries.
Fulltext Peak systolic velocity ratio derived from quantitative vessel analysis for restenosis after femoropopliteal intervention: a multidisciplinary review from Endovascular Asia

Kawarada O, Hozawa K, Zen K, Huang HL, Kim SH, Choi D, et al.

Cardiovasc Interv Ther, 2020 Jan;35(1):52-61.
PMID: 31292931 DOI: 10.1007/s12928-019-00602-z

With technological improvements in the endovascular armamentarium, there have been tremendous advances in catheter-based femoropopliteal artery intervention during the last decade. However, standardization of the methodology for assessing outcomes has been underappreciated, and unvalidated peak systolic velocity ratios (PSVRs) of 2.0, 2.4, and 2.5 on duplex ultrasonography have been arbitrarily but routinely used for assessing restenosis. Quantitative vessel analysis (QVA) is a widely accepted method to identify restenosis in a broad spectrum of cardiovascular interventions, and PSVR needs to be validated by QVA. This multidisciplinary review is intended to disseminate the importance of QVA and a validated PSVR based on QVA for binary restenosis in contemporary femoropopliteal intervention.
Fulltext Clinical practice guidelines for esophagogastric junction cancer: Upper GI Oncology Summit 2023

Kitagawa Y, Matsuda S, Gotoda T, Kato K, Wijnhoven B, Lordick F, et al.

Gastric Cancer, 2024 May;27(3):401-425.
PMID: 38386238 DOI: 10.1007/s10120-023-01457-3