Shinya Toyokuni

BRCA1 is one of the causative genes for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome with a high risk of early-onset breast cancer. Whereas olaparib (OLA), an inhibitor of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase, has been applied as adjuvant therapy to…

Cancer is the primary cause of human mortality in Japan since 1981. Although numerous novel therapies have been developed and applied in clinics, the number of deaths from cancer is still increasing worldwide. It is time to consider the str…

Human epidemiological and animal studies have demonstrated that excess iron is a risk for cancer. The responsible mechanisms are: 1) increased intracellular iron catalyzes the Fenton reaction to generate hydroxyl radicals, leading to mutage…

Asbestos-associated diseases remain a social burden worldwide. Our previous studies identified asbestos-induced iron-rich milieu for mesothelial cells with ceaseless macrophage ferroptosis. However, molecular mechanisms how this mutagenic m…

Evolution from the first life on earth to humans took ~3.8 billion years. During the time there have been countless struggles among the species. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was the last major uncontrollable species against the human public h…

Ovarian endometriosis (OE) provides women of reproductive age with not only severe menstrual pain but also infertility and an increased risk for ovarian carcinogenesis. Whereas peritoneal endometriosis models have been developed with syngen…

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a rare but socially important neoplasm due to its association with asbestos exposure. Malignant mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose at an early stage, yet there are no particularly effective treatments avail…

Endometriosis is observed in ∼10% of reproductive age women. Ovarian endometriosis not only causes dysmenorrhea but also causes infertility and a high risk of adenocarcinoma. Due to its scattered nature, complete surgical resection is diffi…

Ovarian endometriosis is a recognized risk for infertility and epithelial ovarian cancer, presumably due to iron overload resulting from repeated hemorrhage. To find a clue for early detection and prevention of ovarian endometriosis-associa…

Iron is the most abundant metal in the human body and mainly works as a cofactor for proteins such as hemoglobin and various enzymes. No independent life forms on earth can survive without iron. However, excess iron is intimately associated…

Few people expected that asbestos, a fibrous mineral, would be carcinogenic to humans. In fact, asbestos is a definite carcinogen in humans, causing a rare but aggressive cancer called malignant mesothelioma (MM). Mesothelial cells line the…

Clear cell adenocarcinoma of the ovary (OCC) is a chemo-resistant tumor with a relatively poor prognosis and is frequently associated with endometriosis. Although it is assumed that oxidative stress plays some role in the malignant transfor…

sis. Iron overload is considered one such condition that causes oxidative stress. Epidemiological studies support a close link between iron overload and carcinogenesis. Reportedly, regular semiannual phlebotomies reduced cancer risk in an o…

Recent studies indicated that oxidative stress has a causal role in the carcinogenesis of mainly two histological subtypes of ovarian cancer, namely, clear cell carcinoma and endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Because of recurrent hemorrhage in e…

OBJECTIVE: To understand the role of ectopic endometriotic stromal cells in ovarian endometriosis (OEM) and the associated risks for infertility and carcinogenesis. DESIGN: Analyses of secreted proteins and gene expression using immortaliz…

Iron is universally abundant and no life can exist without it. However, iron levels should be maintained within a narrow range. Iron deficiency causes anaemia, whereas excessive iron increases cancer risk, presumably by free radical generat…

Persistent oxidative stress has been associated with carcinogenesis. Iron overload is considered one such condition that causes oxidative stress. Epidemiological studies support a close link between iron overload and carcinogenesis. Reporte…

Iron is abundant universally. During the evolutionary processes, humans have selected iron as a carrier of oxygen inside the body. However, iron works as a double-edged sword, and its excess is a risk for cancer, presumably via generation o…

PURPOSE: Endometriotic cysts are known to transform into ovarian cancers, such as clear cell and endometrioid carcinomas. We hypothesized that an iron-rich environment produced by the repetition of hemorrhage in the endometriotic cysts duri…