Medical Frontiers

The first of 2 programs on the latest cancer treatments looks at fluorescence imaging, which causes cancer cells to light up. It's now widely used in Japan for liver cancer surgery. Cancer cells glow, showing the size and location of tumors and making precise surgery possible. Technology is being developed for its use on other cancers such as breast cancer. It will enable surgeons to tell simply by looking at an incision made during an operation if any cancer cells remain in the body.

Genomic medicine is undergoing rapid change after the Japanese public health insurance system began to cover genetic testing in 2019. Cancer patients who meet certain criteria are able to take these tests for a relatively affordable price, and their genetic information is collected in a massive database and analyzed with the help of around 170 hospitals across the country. But challenges remain, with suitable drugs available for only 10% of patients who undergo testing.

This is the first of 2 episodes on longevity-enhancing superfoods in Shimane Prefecture. The death rates from diabetes and liver disease are very low among women in the prefecture. The program looks at how Shijimi clams, a local specialty, and konjac, a food that's been eaten since olden times, keeps the locals healthy. Many households store the shellfish in the freezer, as they're known to contain a liver-protecting substance. Konjac is full of fiber that controls blood sugar and cholesterol.

This is the second of 2 episodes in which nutritionist Erica Angyal travels to Shimane Prefecture to uncover the secrets to a long and healthy life. She learns about Egoma perilla, a herb containing a substance that turns into EPA and DHA when ingested. It suppresses chronic inflammation and improves cognitive function. Erica visits an elderly couple who helped to turn perilla into a local specialty. The program also analyzes the lifestyle and eating habits of a 99-year-old woman to understand the secrets to her health.

iPS cells, which were first generated by Japanese researchers, can turn into any cell in the body. The use of such cells to treat heart failure and spinal cord injuries may soon become a reality. This year, a clinical trial began in which heart muscle cell sheets formed from iPS cells were transplanted into a patient with severe heart disease. Another trial is also scheduled this year that involves the transplantation of neural stem cells made from iPS cells into people with spinal cord injuries.

Japanese researchers are using a new method to develop drugs to treat rare or incurable diseases. They're using iPS cells, which can turn into any cell in the body, to recreate symptoms outside the body and test different drugs on them. We look at how the method is being applied to ALS and an extremely rare disease which affects one in 2 million people and results in bones growing in muscle tissues.

Pancreatic cancer has a 5-year survival rate of under 10% and is often called the "silent killer." It does not cause symptoms in its early stages and is often not detected until it is advanced. But a group of Japanese doctors has come up with a way to detect it early using an endoscope equipped with ultrasound. The procedure takes just 10 minutes. We also introduce tea and a dish using medicinal herbs to boost immunity to prevent coronavirus infection.

Colorectal cancer is the third-most common form of cancer. About 1.8 million people were diagnosed with the disease worldwide in 2018. When it occurs in the rectum, surgery is difficult and requires highly advanced skills as it is close to many organs and surrounded by important blood vessels and nerves. When it is near the anus, many surgeons remove the anus, leaving the patient with a permanent stoma. But a Japanese doctor has succeeded in preserving the anus in over 90% of cases.

What are viruses? How big are they and how do they infect us and cause disease? What are the characteristics of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus? What has humanity's long battle with viruses taught us? We answer these questions as we look into the mechanism of infection, the characteristics of the new coronavirus and the history of infectious diseases. They provide us with a new perspective on the pandemic and the relationship between viruses and humanity.

The body's immune system defends against infection, but many people are unaware of how it functions. All its cells are white blood cells, and their tasks include attacking pathogens, activating other immune cells or sending them information about the enemy and building weapons against infection. They all work together to protect the body. But when the immune system is overactivated, a cytokine storm occurs, triggering a more severe form of COVID-19. We look at the mysterious world of immunity.

To protect the body from disease, the immune system's cells must be activated. We focus on 3 ways to do this. One is to consume lactic acid bacteria. These microbes work in the small intestine, where over half the body's immune cells are. Activating these cells helps them attack pathogens and create antibodies to fight viruses. Exercise also activates immune cells, but it can reduce immunity if not done correctly. The third way is through laughter, which is said to boost immune function.

One of the immune system's important roles is to produce antibodies to neutralize pathogens. Japanese researchers found that the activity of immune cells called lymphocytes, which produce antibodies, is closely linked to the autonomic nervous system. A division of the ANS switches on and off, sending signals for the production of antibodies and their circulation around the body. We also focus on how to balance the ANS so that your immunity functions properly.

Vaccines protect the body from infectious diseases. Despite the large number of pathogens that exist, only a few vaccines have been developed. Ensuring the safety and effectiveness of vaccines is very difficult. We look at the history of vaccines, as well as how they are made and how they prevent disease. The COVID-19 vaccine that's closest to completion is a new type. Experts offer their input on its safety and effectiveness.

We focus on a hospital that accepted people from a cruise ship with a COVID-19 outbreak, which has since treated many seriously ill coronavirus patients. At first, little was known about the disease and how to treat it. The number of patients grew along with concerns that staff would become infected and unable to treat patients. The hospital introduced remote monitoring of patients and altered its layout to protect staff. We look at changes hospitals can make to keep functioning amid COVID-19.

A new influenza vaccine developed in Japan is sprayed into the nose. It takes advantage of mucosal immunity in the nose and mouth to stop infection. It has a low risk of side effects and can be used on infants and the elderly. Injected vaccines aim to stop an infection from worsening. They cannot prevent infection itself, but the nasal spray can. The nasal spray vaccine has completed all clinical trials and has the potential to be adapted for use against the new coronavirus.

Depression is a disorder in which chronic stress triggers an abnormality in the brain. Much of the mechanism behind it remains a mystery, but in recent years attention has focused on inflammation that occurs in certain brain cells. We look at why this inflammation occurs and how it causes depression, and hear from an expert who hopes to use this knowledge to create a new drug to treat depression. Studies are also being done on whether stress can be relieved through certain aromas.