Gastric cancer that metastasizes to the peritoneum, or the lining of the abdominal cavity, has a very poor prognosis and is challenging to treat. Now, a group of researchers has developed mRNA-based vaccines that can target tumor-specific ‘neoantigens.’ In combination with anti-PD1 therapy, these vaccines show high antitumor efficacy against gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis. This approach can potentially be expanded in order to develop ‘personalized’ cancer vaccines for complicated cancer cases.

Hydration significantly boosts ion conductivity in Ba₇Nb₄MoO₂₀, a promising ceramic electrolyte candidate for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells. But its origin and mobile ionic species were unresolved issues. Researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo found that exposure to water vapor enhances oxide-ion mobility by increasing interstitial oxygen ions, nearly doubling the oxide-ion conductivity at 500 °C. The findings of this study could advance the development of efficient and durable fuel cells for clean energy applications.   

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common liver cancer, includes aggressive subtypes resistant to treatment. Researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, identified a key mechanism behind one such subtype and developed a mouse model replicating its characteristics. Their study found that combining angiogenesis inhibitors with immune checkpoint blockers effectively disrupted the tumor’s defenses, enabling immune cells to attack. These findings offer a promising strategy for improving treatments and outcomes for patients with aggressive HCC.

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered a new pathway by which cells counteract the action of alovudine, an important antiviral and anticancer drug. The protein flap endonuclease-1 (Fen1) was found to improve cell tolerance by counteracting the toxic accumulation of another protein, 53BP1. A renewed spotlight on the underappreciated role of Fen1 promises not only new cancer treatments, but a way to gauge the efficacy of existing treatments.

The Japanese rhinoceros beetle Trypoxylus dichotomus is a large insect native to Asia, characterized by the large horn of the male. A research team led by Professor Teruyuki Niimi at the National Institute for Basic Biology is investigating the molecular mechanism of horn development and is developing various molecular techniques essential for this research. To date, the team has successfully decoded the whole genome of the Japanese rhinoceros beetle and established a gene function analysis method using RNA interference.

This time, published in Scientific Reports, the team reported the development of a gene function analysis method using electroporation in Trypoxylus dichotomus larvae.

In a study published in PLOS Genetics, a research team led by Professor Shuji Shigenobu at the National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB), Japan, has identified the Laccase2 (Lac2) gene as essential for the darkening and hardening of overwintering eggs in the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum). By applying a refined CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing protocol specifically optimized for aphids, and introducing the innovative “DIPA-CRISPR” technique for the first time in this species, the researchers disrupted Lac2 and uncovered its critical role in egg protection.

Organic molecules that combine efficient light emission for displays and strong light absorption for bioimaging are difficult to design due to conflicting structural requirements. Researchers from Japan addressed this challenge by developing CzTRZCN, a single molecule that switches structure depending on light interaction, enabling both two-photon absorption and thermally activated delayed fluorescence. These dual functions are useful in OLEDs and biomedical imaging, paving the way for versatile organic materials in electronics, medicine, and life sciences.

What appears to be silver-blue pigment is actually structural coloration—an optical phenomenon that Encephalartos horridus creates through light-scattering wax crystals sculpted from a lipid compound that may date back to the dawn of land plants.

Scandium aluminium nitride (ScAlN) has emerged as a promising barrier material for improving the performance of gallium-nitride (GaN)-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). However, current methods for growing ScAlN layers on GaN require expensive equipment and high temperatures. In a new study, researchers investigated how sputtering can be used to successfully grow ScAlN layers on GaN at relatively lower temperatures and reduced costs, paving the way towards commercialization of high-performance ScAlN-based GaN devices.

The growing healthcare burden posed by hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common subtype of liver cancer, has prompted the establishment of a Commission comprising a wide range of medical and public health experts. Now, they present their findings in a recent report, which defines concrete goals for the reduction of hepatocellular carcinoma cases, and presents a set of evidence-based recommendations to help stakeholders work together to achieve these goals.