Study of Views on Posthumous Reproduction, Focusing on Its Relation with Views on Family and Religion in Modern Japan

Posthumous reproduction has been performed in Japan several times, without sufficient civic discussion on its appropriateness or legislative regulation. There have even been several lawsuits on posthumous acknowledgment (in which a baby born to a deceased father has the same birthright as a baby born to a living father), and some judgments have proposed the need to develop societal agreement on posthumous reproduction and suggested legislative settlement. With this background, this study aims to clarify the views of the Japanese people regarding posthumous reproduction. In December 2007, we distributed a questionnaire on posthumous reproduction in relation to beliefs about family and religion to 32 universities across the country, and received 3,719 replies. It was found that about 60&#65397; of respondents agreed with posthumous reproduction. Statistical analysis was applied to the relationship between this overall position on posthumous reproduction and views on assisted reproduction technologies, family, religion, and so on. The degree of support for posthumous reproduction was strongly correlated with the degree of affirmation of assisted reproduction technologies and a liberal worldview with emphasis on self-determination. On the other hand, there was also a strong correlation with having a traditional view of family, such as family succession. The degree of support for posthumous reproduction was also highly correlated with the intimacy among family members, underlying which was a strong connection to the traditional religious belief in Japan that deceased family members watch the living ones. The view on posthumous reproduction is culturally complex and cannot be explained by a simple dichotomy between traditional conservatives and liberals.</p

Cutaneous T-cell-attracting chemokine as a novel biomarker for predicting prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a prospective observational study

[Background] Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive fibrotic lung disease that leads to respiratory failure and death. Although there is a greater understanding of the etiology of this disease, accurately predicting the disease course in individual patients is still not possible. This study aimed to evaluate serum cytokines/chemokines as potential biomarkers that can predict outcomes in IPF patients. [Methods] A multi-institutional prospective two-stage discovery and validation design using two independent cohorts was adopted. For the discovery analysis, serum samples from 100 IPF patients and 32 healthy controls were examined using an unbiased, multiplex immunoassay of 48 cytokines/chemokines. The serum cytokine/chemokine values were compared between IPF patients and controls; the association between multiplex measurements and survival time was evaluated in IPF patients. In the validation analysis, the cytokines/chemokines identified in the discovery analysis were examined in serum samples from another 81 IPF patients to verify the ability of these cytokines/chemokines to predict survival. Immunohistochemical assessment of IPF-derived lung samples was also performed to determine where this novel biomarker is expressed. [Results] In the discovery cohort, 18 cytokines/chemokines were significantly elevated in sera from IPF patients compared with those from controls. Interleukin-1 receptor alpha (IL-1Rα), interleukin-8 (IL-8), macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha (MIP-1α), and cutaneous T-cell-attracting chemokine (CTACK) were associated with survival: IL-1Rα, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.04 per 10 units, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.01–1.07; IL-8, HR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.08; MIP-1α, HR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.00–1.36; and CTACK, HR = 1.12 per 100 units, 95% CI 1.02–1.21. A replication analysis was performed only for CTACK because others were previously reported to be potential biomarkers of interstitial lung diseases. In the validation cohort, CTACK was associated with survival: HR = 1.14 per 100 units, 95% CI 1.01–1.28. Immunohistochemistry revealed the expression of CTACK and CC chemokine receptor 10 (a ligand of CTACK) in airway and type II alveolar epithelial cells of IPF patients but not in those of controls. [Conclusions] CTACK is a novel prognostic biomarker of IPF

Percutaneous Cryoablation of Pulmonary Metastases from Colorectal Cancer

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of cryoablation for metastatic lung tumors from colorectal cancer. Methods: The procedures were performed on 24 patients (36–82 years of age, with a median age of 62; 17 male patients, 7 female patients) for 55 metastatic tumors in the lung, during 30 sessions. The procedural safety, local progression free interval, and overall survival were assessed by follow-up computed tomographic scanning performed every 3–4 months. Results: The major complications were pneumothorax, 19 sessions (63%), pleural effusion, 21 sessions (70%), transient and self-limiting hemoptysis, 13 sessions (43%) and tract seeding, 1 session (3%). The 1- and 3-year local progression free intervals were 90.8 % and 59%, respectively. The 3-years local progression free intervals of tumors #15 mm in diameter was 79.8 % and that of tumors.15 mm was 28.6 % (p = 0.001; log-rank test). The 1- and 3-year overall survival rates were 91% and 59.6%, respectively. Conclusion: The results indicated that percutaneous cryoablation is a feasible treatment option. The local progression fre

Long-lasting Corolla Cultivars in Japanese Azaleas: A Mutant AP3/DEF Homolog Identified in Traditional Azalea Cultivars from More Than 300 Years Ago

Floral shape in higher plants typically requires genetic regulation through MADS transcription factors. In Japan, hundreds of azalea cultivars including flower shape mutations have been selected from the diversity of endogenous species and natural hybrids since the early 17th century, the Edo era (1603–1867). The long-lasting trait, known as “Misome-shō” in Japanese, has been identified in several species and cultivar groups of evergreen azaleas (Rhododendron L.) from three hundred years ago in Japan. However, the natural mutation conferring the long-lasting trait in azalea remains unknown. Here, we showed MADS-box gene mutations in long-lasting flowers, R. kaempferi ‘Nikkō-misome,’ R. macrosepalum ‘Kochō-zoroi,’ R. indicum ‘Chōjyu-hō,’ and R. × hannoense ‘Amagi-beni-chōjyu.’ All of the long-lasting flowers exhibited small-sized corollas with stomata during long blooming. In the long-lasting flowers, transcript of the APETALA3 (AP3)/DEFICIENS (DEF) homolog was reduced, and an LTR-retrotransposon was independently inserted into exons 1, 2, and 7 or an unknown sequence in exon 1 in gDNA of each cultivar. This insertion apparently abolished the normal mRNA sequence of the AP3/DEF homolog in long-lasting flowers. Also, long-lasting flowers were shown from F2 hybrids that had homozygous ap3/def alleles. Therefore, we concluded that the loss of function of the AP3/DEF homolog through a transposable element insertion may confer a stable long-lasting mutation in evergreen azaleas

TGF-β Signaling Accelerates Senescence of Human Bone-Derived CD271 and SSEA-4 Double-Positive Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Summary: It is generally thought that the proliferative capacity and differentiation potential of somatic stem cells, including mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) and hematopoietic stem cells, decline with age. We investigated the effects of aging on human bone-derived MSCs expressing CD271 and SSEA-4 (double-positive MSCs [DPMSCs]). The percentages of DPMSCs in bone tissue decreased significantly with age. The DPMSCs from elderly patients (old DPMSCs) showed cellular senescence, which was evidenced by low growth potential, high senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity, and elevated p16 and p21 CDK inhibitor levels. Moreover, old DPMSCs showed weak osteogenic differentiation potential and less hematopoiesis-supporting activity in comparison with young DPMSCs. Interestingly, the addition of transforming growth factor β2 (TGF-β2) induced cellular senescence in young DPMSCs. With the exception of the adipogenic differentiation potential, all of the aging phenomena observed in old DPMSCs were reversed by the addition of anti-TGF-β antibodies. These results suggest that, in part, old DPMSCs accelerate cellular senescence through TGF-β signaling. : Sonoda et al. established bone-derived CD271+SSEA-4+ MSCs (DPMSCs) from young and elderly patients and demonstrated that DPMSCs may accelerate cellular senescence through TGF-β2 signaling. TGF-β can change the balance of adipogenesis and osteogenesis of DPMSCs. As a result, it may influence the impaired hematopoiesis observed in elderly patients. Interestingly, the aging phenomena can possibly be reversed by anti-TGF-β antibodies. Keywords: MSC, TGF-β, aging, senescence, HSC, rejuvenation, human bon