Aim Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most frequently occurring cancer among head and neck SCC worldwide. The identification of novel effective biomarkers for early detection may greatly improve the survival rate and prognosis of patients with OSCC. This study aimed to identify specific oral microbial profiles associated with OSCC. Methods Saliva samples were collected from oral leukoplakia (OLK) and OSCC patients (N = 6 each) and healthy controls (HC; N = 4). Total bacterial genomic DNA was isolated and 16S rRNA gene survey was performed by next‐generation sequencing of the V4 region. The relative distribution of abundance for phylogenetic groups was compared among the OSCC and OLK groups. Results The 448 operational taxonomic units detected from the libraries were classified into 133 genera, 69 families, 41 orders, 26 classes and 12 phyla. The abundance of phyla Bacteroidetes and genus Solobacterium was notably higher in the OSCC group when compared with the OLK group, whereas those of genus Streptococcus was significantly lower in the OSCC group when compared with the OLK. Conclusion These changes in the salivary microbiome may have potential applications as a novel diagnostic tool for the early detection of OSCC.

Therapeutic strategies for esophageal cancer largely depend on histopathological assessment. To select appropriate treatments of individual patients, we examined the background molecular characteristics of tumor malignancy and sensitivity to multidisciplinary therapy. Seventy-eight surgically-resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cases during 2001-2013 were examined. PAX5, a novel gene methylation marker in ESCC, was evaluated in the specimens, as methylation of this gene was identified as an extremely tumor-specific event in squamous cell carcinogenesis of head and neck. PAX5 methylation status was evaluated by quantitative MSP (QMSP) assays. Mean QMSP value was 15.7 (0-136.3) in ESCCs and 0.3 (0-8.6) in adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.001). The 78 cases were divided into high QMSP value (high QMSP, n = 26) and low QMSP value (low QMSP, n = 52). High QMSP cases were significantly associated with downregulated PAX5 expression (P = 0.040), and showed significantly poor recurrence-free survival [Hazard Ratio (HR) = 2.84; P = 0.005; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.39-5.81] and overall survival (HR = 3.23; P = 0.002; 95%CI: 1.52-7.01) in multivariable analyses with histopathological factors. PAX5-knockdown cells exhibited significantly increased cell proliferation and cisplatin resistance. PAX5 gene methylation can predict poor survival outcomes and cisplatin sensitivity in ESCCs and could be a useful diagnostic tool for cancer therapy selection.

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To improve ethanol production by Phanerochaete sordida YK-624, the pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) gene was cloned from and reintroduced into this hyper lignin-degrading fungus; the gene encodes a key enzyme in alcoholic fermentation. We screened 16 transformant P. sordida YK-624 strains that each expressed a second, recombinant PDC gene (pdc) and then identified the transformant strain (designated GP7) with the highest ethanol production. Direct ethanol production from hardwood was 1.41 higher with GP7 than with wild-type P. sordida YK-624. RT-PCR analysis indicated that the increased PDC activity was caused by elevated recombinant pdc expression. Taken together, these results suggested that ethanol production by P. sordida YK-624 can be improved by the stable expression of an additional, recombinant pdc.

Background/Aim: This retrospective study focused on the correlation between molecular markers and prognostic outcomes of colon cancer patients depending on sidedness. Materials and Methods: A total of 117 stage I-III colon cancer patients who underwent colectomy were enrolled. Novel methylation markers (KIF1A, PAX5 and VGF) were selected for epigenetic evaluation and p53 and ERCC1 protein expression was examined for the investigation of genetic alterations. Results: High frequency of methylation was observed in 68.2% of right-sided and 39.7% of left-sided colon cancer cases (p=0.004). Abnormal p53 was identified in 52.3% of right-sided and 75.3% of leftsided cases (p=0.015). In right-sided cases, highly methylated genes demonstrated significantly favorable disease-free survival (p=0.049). Regarding left-sided cases, advanced T stage (p=0.028) and abnormal p53 (p=0.028) were revealed to be significant predictive factors of the disease-free survival outcome. Conclusion: Molecular alterations, as significant prognostic factors, might differ depending on the sidedness of colon cancers.Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed malignancy and the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women worldwide (1). Generally, CRC incidence and mortality rates remain at the highest level in countries with a high or very high human development index, such as Australia, France, Iceland, New Zealand, United States, and Japan (2). Statistics show that CRC is increasing due to the intake of red or processed meat (3), obesity (4), and alcohol consumption (5). Especially for 201