The clinical application of gene/nucleic acid medicines
is highly dependent on the development of effective and reliable drug delivery
systems. Dr. Sasaki successfully developed several ternary complexes as novel
gene delivery carriers, which were constructed by gene/nucleic acid medicine,
the cationic polymer, and the anionic polymer. This ternary complex consists of
biodegradable materials found in foods and medical products that are already in
clinical use and can deliver gene/nucleic acid medicines to specific organs
(liver, spleen, lung, and cancer cells etc.) without toxicity. The ternary
complexes are expected to apply to clinical practice.
The sodium salt of isosteviol (STVNa) is a beyerane diterpene
synthesized through acid hydrolysis of stevioside. STVNa improves multiple types of tissue injuries.
However, it is not known how Isosteviol sodium affects high-fat and high
cholesterol diet (HFD)-induced kidney. The current study suggested that STVNa
inhibited HFD-induced kidney injury evident by reducing the increased levels of
serum CRE. Specifically, STVNa attenuated HFD-induced kidney injury by
inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. These findings
indicate that STVNa may have a therapeutic potential for metabolic syndrome
associated kidney dysfunction by inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress and
apoptosis.
Increasing the immunostimulatory
activity of unmethylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG
ODN) is an important issue for its clinical application as immunoadjuvant. In this
study, the authors combined two approaches, i.e., nanostructured DNA formation and
mannose modification, for efficient delivery of CpG ODN to mannose receptor-positive
immune cells. Mannosylated CpG ODN (Man-CpG ODN) loaded onto polypod-like
structured nucleic acid (polypodna) induced a greater tumor necrosis factor-α
release than Man-CpG ODN or CpG ODN/polypodna from the cells. Thus, this study provides
a new and promising approach to increasing the therapeutic potency of CpG ODN.
The
detailed epidemiology of invasive mycoses and superficial mycoses has not been
clarified in Japan. This is the first study to clarify the trends of antifungal
use in Japan. The authors found that total
antifungal use decreased over time. Notably, the trend of antifungal use for
invasive mycoses was significantly increased by 19.9% whereas the trend of
antifungal use for superficial mycoses significantly decreased by 49.8%. In
Japan, the increase in the number of immunocompromised patients might be associated
with an increase in the frequency of antifungal use for invasive mycoses.
Today, majority of
soybeans in Japan comes from foreign countries, where genetically modified (GM)
soybeans are cultivated. The details of GM soybean actually consumed for food
in Japan have been unknown. The article by Soga et al. reported a
quantitative GM soybean kernel detection system and that the most of imported
soybean in the non-identity-preserved soybean samples examined were herbicide-tolerant
and insect-resistant GM soybean events that were authorized in Japan. These
data would provide useful information on risk analysis concerning regulations
on GM soybean for food use.