Keio University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine – serie

While a reliable supply of donated blood is vital in modern medicine, it remains the case that blood transfusion comes with its own problems, such as infectious diseases, immunological adverse reactions, and difficulties with long-term storage and transportation of blood components. With a view to solving these problems, developing a suitable blood substitute has been a major goal for decades. Artificial Oxygen Carrier: Its Front Line is a compilation of reports on the concepts behind artificial oxygen carriers, as well as the new discoveries in the field that were presented during the 13th Keio International Symposium for Life Science and Medicine. This volume describes valuable topics, including artificial red blood cells, modified haemoglobin, perfluorocarbons, and haemoglobin vesicles. It explains cutting-edge developments in artificial oxygen carrier research and will be a valuable resource to all concerned with the field.

This volume of the Keio University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine contains the proceedings of the 14th symposium held under the sponsorship of the Keio University Medical Science Fund.The fund was established by the generous donation of the late Dr. Mitsunada Sakaguchi. The Keio University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine constitute one of the core activities sponsored by the fund, of which the objective is to contribute to the international community by developing human resources, promoting scienti?c knowledge, and encouraging mutual exchange. Each year, the Committee of the International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine selects the most signi?cant symposium topics from applications received from the Keio medical community. The publication of the proceedings is intended to publicize and distribute the information arising from the lively discussions of the most exciting and current issues p- sented during the symposium.On behalf of the Committee,I am most gra- ful to the late Dr. Sakaguchi, who made the series of the symposia possible. We are also grateful to the prominent speakers for their contributions to this volume.In addition,we would like to acknowledge the ef?cient organizational work performed by the members of the program committee and the staff of the fund. Naoki Aikawa, M.D., D.M.Sc., F.A.C.S.

This volume of the Keio University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine contains the proceedings of the 13th symposium held under the sponsorship of the Keio University Medical Science Fund. The fund was est- lished by the generous donation of the late Dr. Mitsunada Sakaguchi. The Keio University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine constitute one of the core activities sponsored by the fund,of which the objective is to contribute to the international community by developing human resources, promoting scienti?c knowledge, and encouraging mutual exchange. Each year, the Committee of the International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine selects the most signi?cant symposium topics from applications received from the Keio medical community. The publication of the proce- ings is intended to publicize and distribute the information arising from the lively discussions of the most exciting and current issues presented during the symposium. On behalf of the Committee, I am most grateful to the late Dr. Sakaguchi, who made the series of symposia possible. We are also grateful to the prominent speakers for their contribution to this volume. In addition, we would like to acknowledge the ef?cient organizational work performed by the members of the program committee and the staff of the fund. Naoki Aikawa, M. D. , D. M. Sc. , F. A. C. S.

Papers from the symposium, collected in this volume, cover a broad range of topics, including recent advances in diagnostic imaging, brain protection during aortic surgery, spinal protection during thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair, treatment of type A acute aortic dissection, and stent-grafts and less-invasive aortic surgery.

This volume of the Keio University International Symposia for LifeSciences and Medicine contains the proceedings of the eleventh symposium held under the sponsorship of the Keio University Medical Science Fund.

Because stroke is essentially a disease of the vessels and blood flow, the most fundamental aspects of ischemic blood flow in the brain are under investigation by researchers. Their work was the focus of the sixth in the series of Keio University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine, held in Tokyo in 1999. Selected here are 55 papers from the symposium, covering the buffy coat (glycocalyx) of endothelial cells, the blood-brain barrier and permeability, gene expression, vascular reactivity, dysregulation, inflammatory deterioration, cortical spreading depression, edema, microvascular derangement, and pathology, in ten major sections. The book includes the thought-provoking discussions that followed the presentations, thus providing an invaluable source of up-to-date information not only for researchers investigating microcirculation but also for clinicians implementing the most effective treatment for stroke patients.

In Japan, cadaveric donor liver transplantation is not common even though cadaveric organ transplantation was legally established in 1998. In contrast, the number of living donor liver transplantations is increasing, with more than 1700 cases at 43 Japanese institutes by November 2001. Indications for and have become living donor liver transplantation are widening in Japan similar to those for cadaveric donor liver transplantation in the United States and Europe. At the same time, split liver transplantation from cadaveric donors shares some technical aspects with living donor liver transplantation. Remarkable progress has been reported recently, and thus it was an auspicious time to hold a symposium on "Current issues in liver/small bowel transplantation" in Japan. We were honored to hold a very fruitful symposium sponsored by the Keio University Medical Science Fund and to bring together top-rank transplant surgeons from Japan and other countries. It was a productive and rewarding time for all participants. We were able to share our experience through excellent presentations followed by active discussions and insightful com­ ments. At the symposium, we focused on current issues in liver transplanta­ tion such as widening indications for viral hepatitis and malignant tumors. We also discussed technical aspects and physiological problems in split/iiving donor liver transplant, novel strategies in immunosuppression, and the current status and future prospects in small bowel transplantation. This book contains the papers from all the distinguished guest speakers, focusing on the topics discussed at the symposium.

Researchers in recent decades have elucidated signal transduction in the retina and the function of the visual cortex. The highly flexible nature of neural circuits in the visual cortex especially during the critical period has been an interesting subject for studying neural plasticity and development. Recent advances in the visual neurosciences of the vertebrate retina and the visual cortex were discussed during the 12th Keio International Symposium for Life Science and Medicine, meeting jointly with Vision Forum 2002. Contributions to the symposium collected in this volume reflect the convergence of physiological, cell biological, molecular, mathematical, and clinical approaches. The book covers topics ranging from phototransduction to visual information processing in the primary visual cortex, and includes clinical studies on hereditary night blindness, creating a valuable source of information for researchers and clinicians in the visual neurosciences.

This first volume in a projected series contains the proceedings of the first of the Keio University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine under the sponsorship of the Keio University Medical Science Fund. As stated in the address by the President of Keio University at the opening of the 1996 symposium, the fund of Dr. Mitsunada Sakaguchi. The Keio was established by the generous donation University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine constitute one of the core activities of the fund. The objective is to contribute to the international community by developing human resources, promoting scientific knowledge, and encouraging mutual exchange. Every year, the Executive Committee of the Interna­ tional Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine selects the most interesting topics for the symposium from applications received in response to a call for papers to the Keio medical community. The publication of these proceedings is intended to publicize and distribute information arising from the lively discussions of the most exciting and current issues during the symposium. Weare grateful to Dr. Mitsunada Sakaguchi, who made the symposium possible, the members of the program committee, and the office staff whose support guaran­ teed the success of the symposium. Finally, we thank Springer-Verlag, Tokyo, for their assistance in publishing this work. Akimichi Kaneko, M. D. , Ph. D.

At the international symposium "Rethinking Somatoform Disorders," this problem was addressed by specialists working in somatoform disorders, psychiatric nosology, epidemiology, and biological and cross-cultural psychiatry.

The aging of society is a growing concern in all advanced nations, and at the forefront of concern is long-term care for frail older people.

Modern cell biology has brought improvements in therapy for advanced malignant diseases through immunomodulation, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and other advanced techniques. Collected here are selected papers from the Fifth International Symposium of Keio University for Life Sciences and Medicine on Cell Therapy.All chapters include innovative basic research for clinical application: immunotherapy, cancer vaccination, molecular biology of hematopoietic stem cells, stem cell processing, and gene therapy.The book is divided into three parts: Immunotherapy for malignant diseases; Hematopoietic stem cell biology and clinical application; and International collaboration in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Included in the third part is information on bone marrow registries from around the world.The book thus presents up-to-date information on biological and clinical aspects of treatment, with insight into the future of cell therapy.

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that can devastate the lives of patients and their families. The condition is chronic and may persist throughout patients' lives, disrupting education and work and greatly reducing the quality of life. Affecting nearly 0.8% of the population worldwide, schizophrenia is a serious public health problem demanding improved treatment. Recent progress in neuroscience and biological studies of schizophrenia is promising. However, to understand the concomitant behavioral characteristics and implement effective treatment programs, multifaceted approaches are required. "Comprehensive Treatment of Schizophrenia" was the subject of the 8th Keio University International Symposium for Life Sciences and Medicine, held in Tokyo. From the symposium, 40 papers were chosen to be included here in nine sections covering the broad spectrum of recent clinical progress in the treatment of schizophrenia and allied disorders.

This volume focuses on the structural biology of cytochrome-c oxidase - the enzyme most fundamental to aerobic life -, and on the physiology of oxygen homeostasis. It consists of five sections: cytochrome oxidases; cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase; various types of oxidases and oxygenases; oxygen sensing and regulation of blood flow; pathology and physiology of gaseous monoxides. Together, they describe oxygen homeostasis and its dynamics, and its vital importance in biology and medicine today. An invaluable resource and reference for clinicians and researchers in the medical sciences and biochemistry.

The most recent research findings on the important genes, key molecules, and mechanisms in neural development and regeneration are presented in this volume. The papers collected here were delivered at the second of the Keio University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine, held in Mita (Tokyo), Japan, and are in eight main sections: Early Neurogenesis and Pattern Formation, Regional and Cellular Specification, Trophic Factors, Adhesion Molecules, Glial Cell Lineage and Myelination, Circuit Formation, Synaptic Refinement and Neurotransmitter Release, and Neural Regeneration. Together, they present the concept of neural development and regeneration and its vital importance at the frontiers of medical science today. Neural Development is an invaluable resource and reference for researchers, clinicians, and students in physiology and the medical sciences.

Medically unexplained somatic symptoms are problematic in psychiatry, primary care settings, and other clinical areas. The burden they impose on health care systems constitutes a significant public health problem. At the international symposium "Rethinking Somatoform Disorders", this problem was addressed by specialists working in somatoform disorders, psychiatric nosology, epidemiology, and biological and cross cultural psychiatry. The meeting was the third of the Keio University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the World Psychiatric Association.

The ageing of society is a growing concern in all advanced nations, and at the forefront of concern is long term care for frail older people. Enactment of a new public long term care insurance programme by the Japanese government in 1997 provided an excellent opportunity for a conference focusing on an ideal long term care system for frail older people. With contributions from the fields of medicine, nursing, social work, gerontology, political science, economics, and sociology, this volume provides an overview of key problems and possible solutions in programmes for frail older people from an international perspective.

Modern cell biology has brought improvements in therapy for advanced malignant diseases through immunomodulation, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and other advanced techniques. Collected here are selected papers from the Fifth International Symposium of Keio University for Life Sciences and Medicine on Cell Therapy.All chapters include innovative basic research for clinical application: immunotherapy, cancer vaccination, molecular biology of hematopoietic stem cells, stem cell processing, and gene therapy.The book is divided into three parts: Immunotherapy for malignant diseases; Hematopoietic stem cell biology and clinical application; and International collaboration in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Included in the third part is information on bone marrow registries from around the world.The book thus presents up-to-date information on biological and clinical aspects of treatment, with insight into the future of cell therapy.

As societies have aged and aortic diseases have become more prevalent, advances in diagnostic imaging and surgical techniques have brought significantly improved results for patients. In cardiovascular surgery, important questions remain to be addressed, however. "Strategy for Cardio-aortic and Aortic Surgery" was the theme of the 7th Keio University Symposium for Life Sciences and Medicine. Meeting in Tokyo, researchers and specialists in cardiac surgery from around the world discussed crucial issues in their field. Papers from the symposium, collected in this volume, cover a broad range of topics, including advances in diagnostic imaging, brain protection during aortic surgery, spinal protection during thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair, treatment of type A acute aortic dissection, and stent grafts and less invasive aortic surgery. The book provides information especially for aortic, cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons.

Because stroke is essentially a disease of the vessels and blood flow, the most fundamental aspects of ischemic blood flow in the brain are under investigation by researchers. Their work was the focus of the sixth in the series of Keio University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine, held in Tokyo in 1999. Selected here are 55 papers from the symposium, covering the buffy coat (glycocalyx) of endothelial cells, the blood-brain barrier and permeability, gene expression, vascular reactivity, dysregulation, inflammatory deterioration, cortical spreading depression, edema, microvascular derangement, and pathology, in ten major sections. The book includes the thought-provoking discussions that followed the presentations, thus providing an invaluable source of up-to-date information not only for researchers investigating microcirculation but also for clinicians implementing the most effective treatment for stroke patients.

With remarkable progress being reported in living donor liver transplants and small bowel transplantation, the 9th Keio International Symposium for Life Sciences and Medicine was auspiciously timed. Titled "Current Issues in Liver/Small Bowel Transplantation," the Tokyo symposium brought together researchers from Japan and other parts of the world. This volume is a compilation of papers from the symposium, organized into five key areas of interest to medical professionals: Technical aspects and physiological problems in split/living donor liver transplantation; Viral hepatitis and liver transplantation; Current status and future prospects in small bowel transplantation; Liver transplantation for malignant hepatic tumors; and Novel strategies in immunosuppression. Containing the most up-to-date information on these vital issues, the book is an essential resource for all researchers and practitioners concerned with liver and small bowel transplantation.