EXCHANGE SCIENTIST REPORTS

Nobuko Ishii M.D.,
Health Administration Center, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki

Dates of Visit: September 23 to October 22, 1980
Hosts:
David M. Goldenberg, Sc.D., M.D., Professor and Director, Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky
T.M. Chu, Ph.D., Professor and Director, Diagnostic Immunology Research and Biochemistry, Department of Health, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, New York

Summary of Activities.
The purpose of my research was to demonstrate the specific localization of radiolabeled anti-AFP antibody to AFP-producing tumor, and using this radioactive antibody, to detect the patients with hepatoma by photoscanning technique.
Professor Goldenberg and his colleagues (University of Kentucky College of Medicine) have shown the specific localization of radioiodinated antibody to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) by photoscan in many patients with CEA-producing tumor. They have also localized radioiodinated goat antibody to AFP in some patients with AFP-producing tumors.
My research goal in Dr. Goldenberg's laboratory was to learn the technique of radioimmunodetection using computer subtraction of radioactive blood-pool agents from the antibody's activity.
During my two weeks at the University of Kentucky, I saw the practical scanning procedures used on some patients by the staff members, and learned about several problems in the use of these procedures (e.g., specific activity of radionuclide, appropriate scanning time after the injection, selection and dosis of radioactive agents for the subtraction and metabolism of the injected radioantibodies).
Next, I visited Professor Chu, who has done much work on tumor-marker proteins, at Roswell Park Memorial Institute. Dr. Chu and his colleagues have recently examined the purification of the tumor-specific antigens from immune complexes in ascites, or pleural effusion of various carcinoma patients, and have demonstrated specific localization of the radiolabeled antibodies to these antigens by photoscanning technique. I have used the procedures from these purification studies and have obtained many useful suggestions about my future programs of antibody-used radioimmunodetection.
This program has informed me about practical methods for photoscanning and some problems involved with using these methods. This information may be available for our studies on immunodetection of hepatoma. I would hope to stay in touch with Drs. Goldenberg, Chu, and their colleagues, and to test this methodology on many hepatoma patients to study the possibility for early detection of minute hepatoma. Because Nagasaki District has a high incidence of hepatoma, the ability to use the computer subtraction method to detect minute hepatomas would be favorable for the progress of this program.


George F. Van de Woude Ph.D.,
National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland

Dates of Visit: January 23 to February 2, 1981
Host:
Dr. Yoji Ikawa, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo

Summary of Activities.
I visited five research facilities in Japan as an exchange scientist. My itinerary was intensive, but I welcomed this opportunity to visit the many Japanese cancer research facilities.
The first two days of my visit were spent in Dr. Ikawa's laboratory. On Sunday evening I travelled to Kyoto and was met by Dr. Yohei Ito. I remained at Kyoto University through Tuesday morning. I spent most of my time with the investigators in Dr. Ito's department. They were especially interested in our research demonstrating that a normal cell onc gene can be activated to transform cells in culture. On Tuesday I travelled to Osaka University's Research Institute for Microbial Diseases. I met with the Director, Dr. Shiro Kato, with Professor Yoshio Okada (Department of Animal Virology), and Dr. Tsuyoshi Uchida of his department. I also spent time with Dr. Akira Hakura (Department of Tumor Viruses) and his colleagues. The successful efforts of Dr. Okada's group, to introduce macromolecules into living cells, are very impressive. One of the junior members of Dr. Hakura's Laboratory, Dr. Yutsudo, wishes to generate MSV mutants from our cloned proviruses (in a collaborative effort).
On Wednesday morning I returned to Tokyo and spent the afternoon with Dr. Ikawa and his colleagues. We have identified several areas of mutual interest and will develop a collaborative research program. Dr. Ikawa is an excellent biologist and has an incredible catalog of wellcharacterized transformed cell lines. We plan to try to identify sequences in these cells responsible for expression of the transformed phenotype.
On Thursday, January 29, I visited the National Cancer Center. I met with the Director of the Research Institute, Dr. T. Sugimura, Dr. S. Nishimura (Head of the Biology Division), and their colleagues. They are especially interested in examining their chemically transformed cells with cellular onc probes and I have arranged to forward our mos probes. I spent Friday with Dr. Kumao Toyoshima of the Department of Oncology, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo University. Dr. Toyoshima has recently moved into new laboratory space. The Japanese scientists must, unfortunately, conform to our original recombinant DNA guidelines. Thus the new facility is designed to provide considerable P3 physical containment. Dr. Toyoshima and his associate, Dr. Sadaaki Kawai have collaborated with Dr. Yoshida of the Cancer Institute in characterizing a new avian onc gene designated yas.
Since returning, I have received several requests for furnishing reagents. I am sure this reflects that my travel had a positive impact on cancer research in Japan. On the other hand, I have made direct contact with a number of scientists who share mutual interests and this will provide the basis for future collaboration.


Yoshifumi Ishii M.D.,
Department of Pathology, Sapporo Medical College, Sapporo

Dates of Visit: February 20 to March 20, 1981
Hosts:
Department of Molecular Immunology, Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation
Division of Oncology, Stanford University Medical Center
Department of Developmental Therapeutics, M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute

Summary of Activities.
The main purpose of my visit to the United States institutions was to discuss and exchange information about tumor antigen characterization and purification, as well as its clinical application in cancer immunodiagnosis and immunotherapy. I have exchanged some data which had been obtained by studying human melanoma antigens in collaboration with Dr. Reisfeld's Lab (Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation). I also discussed with Dr. Levy (Stanford University) the clinical application of monoclonal antitumor antibody for cancer patients. Furthermore, in three institutions we discussed the usefulness of gene cloning technology for producing large quantities of purified human tumor antigens and for understanding the regulatory mechanism of the expression of tumor antigens. Because Dr. Levy and I produced antibodies similar to human lymphocytic leukemia cells, we decided to exchange antibodies in order to chemically compare the antigens we had each defined. I also discussed with Dr. Mavligit and Dr. Hersh (M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute) the application of leukemia-associated antigens for immunodiagnosis of leukemia and the clinical evaluation of the effect of inducible or noninducible immuno-potentiators of interferon. I also learned some technology which was concerned with peptide mapping and amino acid sequencing. These methods will help in characterizing further the chemical nature of tumor-associated antigens.
This program has assisted me in achieving my research objectives by exposing me to new information and techniques which have the potential of facilitating my research in the characterization and purification of human cancer antigen and its application in cancer immunodiagnosis. Because this program has enhanced the potential of my research, I have a plan to continue this collaboration with United States scientists. I believe that these efforts to collaborate with U.S. scientists concerned with cancer research can help to achieve the common objectives that will prove beneficial to cancer patients.