Masakazu Kurita

Masakazu Kurita
Altos labs · SDI

MD, PhD

About

125
Publications
29,738
Reads
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5,230
Citations
Introduction
Development of therapeutics for plastic and reconstructive surgery patients. Most recently, focuses on limb regeneration in mammals.
Additional affiliations
August 2018 - November 2019
The University of Tokyo
Position
  • Instructor
April 2003 - March 2004
The University of Tokyo
Position
  • Medical Doctor
April 2015 - August 2018
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Position
  • Research Associate
Description
  • JSPS postdoctoral fellowships for research abroad (2015-2016)
Education
April 1997 - March 2003
The University of Tokyo
Field of study
  • Medicine

Publications

Publications (125)
Article
Full-text available
Large cutaneous ulcers are, in severe cases, life threatening1,2. As the global population ages, non-healing ulcers are becoming increasingly common1,2. Treatment currently requires the transplantation of pre-existing epithelial components, such as skin grafts, or therapy using cultured cells2. Here we develop alternative supplies of epidermal cove...
Preprint
Full-text available
Paragraph Mammalian skin appendages, such as hair follicles and sweat glands, are complex mini-organs formed during skin development 1, 2 . As wounds heal, the resulting scar tissue lacks skin appendages. The clinical regeneration of skin appendages is an ongoing challenge 3, 4 . Skin epithelial tissues have been regenerated in vivo by cellular rep...
Article
Full-text available
Objective To evaluate the effect and safety of sclerotherapy in patients with difficult-to-resect venous malformations treated with ethanolamine oleate. Design and setting This investigator-initiated clinical trial employed a multicenter, single-arm design and was conducted in Japan. Patients Overall, 44 patients with difficult-to-resect venous m...
Article
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Background/Objectives: The therapeutic efficacy of percutaneous sclerotherapy (PS) for venous malformations (VMs) based on volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements and its association with early post-treatment coagulation markers remains unexplored. This study evaluates the therapeutic efficacy of 5% monoethanolamine oleate (EO)-bas...
Article
Full-text available
Mammalian skin appendages, such as hair follicles and sweat glands, are essential for both esthetic and functional purposes. Conditions such as burns and ulcers can lead to dysfunction or loss of skin appendages and result in hair loss and dry skin, posing challenges in their regeneration. Existing animal models are insufficient for studying acquir...
Article
Rapid and accurate identification of bacterial species is essential for the effective treatment of infectious diseases and suppression of antibiotic‐resistant strains. The unique autofluorescence properties of bacterial cells are exploited for rapid and cost‐effective identification that is suitable for point‐of‐care applications. Fluorescence spec...
Preprint
Full-text available
Mammalian skin appendages, such as hair follicles and sweat glands, are essential for both esthetic and functional purposes. Conditions such as burns and ulcers can lead to dysfunction or loss of skin appendages and result in hair loss and dry skin, posing challenges in their regeneration. Existing animal models are insufficient for studying acquir...
Article
Full-text available
We herein report an atypical case of shingles caused by varicella zoster virus after surgery. The virus, which goes along with the cutaneous nerve from the ganglia, was unable to spread across the previous surgical scar due to damage of the cutaneous nerves, but made a detour to the upper left direction from the scar. image
Article
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Background At present, there is no golden standard for treatment of extracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and recurrence remains a major challenge with limited available evidence on the associated factors. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of surgical treatment options, in terms of size reduction, symptoms, and early recurren...
Preprint
Full-text available
Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of sclerotherapy in patients with difficult-to-resect venous malformations treated with ethanolamine oleate. Design and setting This investigator-initiated clinical trial employed a multicenter, single-arm, open-label design and was conducted in Japan. Patients Overall, 44 patients with difficult-to-res...
Preprint
Full-text available
Background Local gene therapies, including in vivo genome editing, are highly anticipated for the treatment of genetic diseases in skin, especially the epidermis. While the adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a potent vector for in vivo gene delivery, the lack of efficient gene delivery methods has limited its clinical applications. Objective To optim...
Article
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With great interest, we read the article by Kitano et al., which described the safety and overall benefits of receiving mRNA vaccines, including BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna), against the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. In 4–5 months, the total benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks, irrespective of age, sex, and presence of...
Article
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Rapid identification of bacterial species in patient samples is essential for the treatment of infectious diseases and the economics of health care. In this study, we investigated an algorithm to improve the accuracy of bacterial species identification with fluorescence spectroscopy based on autofluorescence from bacteria, and excitation wavelength...
Article
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Objectives: Concerns among susceptible individuals, especially those with vascular malformations, have been raised by reports of thromboembolism following the administration of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This studyʼs goal was to assess any negative side effects that patients with vascular malformations w...
Article
Composite grafts are excellent options for treating external nasal deformities because they provide support and include the skin, which improves the delicate anatomy of the nose. However, they are constrained by size limits since the grafts rely on blood flow to the nasal bed. This is a critical issue when the recipient sites have scarring or degen...
Article
Full-text available
The adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a potent vector for in vivo gene transduction and local therapeutic applications of AAVs, such as for skin ulcers, are expected. Localization of gene expression is important for the safety and efficiency of genetic therapies. We hypothesized that gene expression could be localized by designing biomaterials using...
Article
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Four-armed poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)s are essential hydrophilic polymers extensively utilized to prepare PEG hydrogels, which are valuable tissue scaffolds. When hydrogels are used in vivo, they eventually dissociate due to cleavage of the backbone structure. When the cleavage occurs at the cross-linking point, the hydrogel elutes as an original...
Preprint
Full-text available
Four-armed poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)s are essential hydrophilic polymers extensively utilized to prepare PEG hydrogels, which are valuable tissue scaffolds. When hydrogels are used in vivo, they eventually dissociate due to the cleavage of the backbone structure. When the cleavage occurs at the cross-linking point, the hydrogel elutes as an origi...
Article
Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in mammals remains a debated subject. Here, we demonstrate that DNA methylation of promoter-associated CpG islands (CGIs) can be transmitted from parents to their offspring in mice. We generated DNA methylation-edited mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), in which CGIs of two metabolism-related genes, the Ankyr...
Article
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Wearable sensors have seen remarkable recent technological developments, and their role in healthcare is expected to expand. Specifically, monitoring tissue circulation in patients who have undergone reconstructive surgery is critical because blood flow deficiencies must be rescued within hours or the transplant will fail due to thrombosis/haematom...
Article
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Orbital cavernous venous malformation (OCVM) is a sporadic vascular anomaly of uncertain etiology characterized by abnormally dilated vascular channels. Here, we identify a somatic missense mutation, c.121G > T (p.Gly41Cys) in GJA4, which encodes a transmembrane protein that is a component of gap junctions and hemichannels in the vascular system, i...
Article
Background Pelvic lymphoceles are the most common complications after pelvic lymphadenectomy. Microsurgical procedures have attracted attention as an alternative treatment for lymphoceles. Here, we report six cases of refractory lymphoceles that were successfully treated using lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA). Methods Six patients underwent surgery...
Article
Full-text available
The classification of ultrasound (US) findings of pressure injury is important to select the appropriate treatment and care based on the state of the deep tissue, but it depends on the operator’s skill in image interpretation. Therefore, US for pressure injury is a procedure that can only be performed by a limited number of highly trained medical p...
Article
Background Lymphatic venous anastomosis (LVA) is a widely accepted surgical procedure for lymphedema. To obtain the best outcomes, surgeons should be well trained. A recent study introduced an LVA training model using pig trotters for their utility and structural similarity to human tissues. However, details regarding the utilization of anastomosis...
Article
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Although the great toe plays important roles in walking, loading, and maintaining balance when compared with other toes, there are few reports on great toe reconstruction, including the reconstruction of distal phalanx. This report aims to describe the use of a superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator (SCIP)-osteocutaneous flap for reconstruc...
Article
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Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a well-established mechanical circulatory support system used in patients with life-threatening cardiopulmonary conditions. However, severe complications associated with vascular access require consideration. We report a patient with fatal ventricular arrhythmia who was successfully resuscitated with EC...
Article
Background Lipoinjection is a promising treatment but has some problems, such as unpredictability and a low rate of graft survival due to partial necrosis.Methods To overcome the problems with lipoinjection, the authors developed a novel strategy known as cellassisted lipotransfer (CAL). In CAL, autologous adiposederived stem (stromal) cells (ASCs)...
Article
Aims Given the utility of ultrasonography in assessing pressure injury, some ultrasonographic findings have already been used as indicators of deep tissue pressure injury. Despite reports showing that a cloud-like ultrasonographic pattern reflected the presence of deep tissue necrosis, identifying cloud-like patterns was difficult given the presenc...
Article
The repair of a total lip defect and reconstruction of the vermilion border of the lip is challenging. Here, the authors report the successful functional and esthetic reconstruction of an injured upper lip using a free radial forearm flap and labia minora peripheral skin graft. A 43-year-old woman accidentally fell, resulting in a full-thickness wo...
Article
Full-text available
The objective was to prepare guidelines to perform the current optimum treatment by organizing effective and efficient treatments of hemangiomas and vascular malformations, confirming the safety, and systematizing treatment, employing evidence-based medicine (EBM) techniques and aimed at improvement of the outcomes. Clinical questions (CQs) were de...
Article
Full-text available
The objective was to prepare guidelines to perform the current optimum treatment by organizing effective and efficient treatments of hemangiomas and vascular malformations, confirming the safety and systematizing treatment, employing evidence‐based medicine techniques and aimed at improvement of the outcomes. Clinical questions (CQ) were decided ba...
Article
Full-text available
The objective was to prepare guidelines to perform the current optimum treatment by organizing effective and efficient treatments of hemangiomas and vascular malformations, confirming the safety, and systematizing treatment, employing evidence‐based medicine (EBM) techniques and aimed at improvement of the outcomes. Clinical questions (CQs) were de...
Article
For optimal wound bed preparation, wound debridement is essential to eliminate bacterial biofilms. However, it is challenging for clinicians to determine whether the biofilm is completely removed. A newly developed biofilm detection method based on wound blotting technology may be useful. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effect of biofilm eliminat...
Article
Full-text available
In vivo genome editing represents a powerful strategy for both understanding basic biology and treating inherited diseases. However, it remains a challenge to develop universal and efficient in vivo genome-editing tools for tissues that comprise diverse cell types in either a dividing or non-dividing state. Here, we describe a versatile in vivo gen...
Article
Full-text available
Cutaneous ulcers are a common cause of morbidity. We have developed a de novo epithelialization method for treating cutaneous ulcers by means of reprogramming wound-resident mesenchymal cells in vivo into cells able to form a stratified epithelium: induced stratified epithelial progenitors (iSEPs). Administration of 4 transcription factors (DNP63A,...
Article
A biofilm plays a crucial role in delaying wound healing. Sharp debridement, a possible effective method for eliminating biofilms, can only be applied to the wound with visible necrotic tissue; thus, no option has been available for eliminating biofilms that are not accompanied by necrotic tissue. Wound blotting was recently developed to visualize...
Article
We report a rare case of a 37-year-old man who presented with a huge arteriovenous malformation in the head and neck region. After resection, the 30 × 25 cm defect was reconstructed with a preexpanded musculocutaneous latissimus dorsi flap. The facial nerve had to be sacrificed during the resection, and smile reanimation was restored in a second op...
Article
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A 13-month-old infant weighing 8.3 kg with a height of 72.3 cm visited our hospital for surgical resection of facial vascular malformation detected at birth. Because we anticipated the patient would have difficult airway management and massive perioperative bleeding, we postponed surgery to discuss the appropriate timing and general anesthesia appr...
Article
Background: The investigation of primary cells from a pathological lesion can elucidate the pathogenesis of diseases, but, for vascular malformations in humans, such basic research is still stagnant, because the isolation and culture of vascular endothelial cells (ECs) is very difficult. To obtain a sufficient amount of ECs from venous malformation...
Article
For the treatment of skull defect compensation after neurosurgery, a customized artificial bone is often employed owing to its toughness and the relative ease of producing cosmetically good result. However, implants are vulnerable to infection and removal of implant is sometimes necessary. Several other treatment options such as autologous bone gra...
Article
Aging is the major risk factor for many human diseases. In vitro studies have demonstrated that cellular reprogramming to pluripotency reverses cellular age, but alteration of the aging process through reprogramming has not been directly demonstrated in vivo. Here, we report that partial reprogramming by short-term cyclic expression of Oct4, Sox2,...
Article
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Targeted genome editing via engineered nucleases is an exciting area of biomedical research and holds potential for clinical applications. Despite rapid advances in the field, in vivo targeted transgene integration is still infeasible because current tools are inefficient, especially for non-dividing cells, which compose most adult tissues. This po...
Article
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Background Fingertip replantation has become a standard operation for well-experienced microsurgeons, but naturally there are some unsuccessful cases. Furthermore, younger surgeons need experience with this procedure, as replantations are often an emergency operation and experts may not be available to attend. Therefore, we reviewed our cases to de...
Article
In lower eyelid reconstruction, several types of grafts from the nasal septum, ear cartilage, buccal mucosa, and hard palate mucosa have been used for an inner layer of the lower eyelid, but there have been no studies comparing these grafts. The authors retrospectively reviewed our cases of lower eyelid reconstruction, and compared chondromucosal g...
Article
The relationship between atrial fibrillation (AF) and flap survival has not been fully characterized. Therefore, the goal of this study was to investigate the effect of AF on survival areas of pedicled flap and survival rates of free flap in an experimental rat AF model.An aconitine-induced rat AF model was established without intubation anesthesia...
Article
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to perform continuous StO2 monitoring of rat island flaps during pedicle vessel occlusion using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in order to collect experimental data for StO2 flap monitoring under optimized conditions. Materials and methods: Twenty rats were used in this study. The 3 × 3 cm(2) epigastric...
Article
We reconstructed fingertip defects using the partial second toe pulp free flap technique as described by Lee et al, in 2008, with minor modifications. In all 8 cases, the flap remained viable with satisfactory cosmetic and/or functional outcomes. Callus formation with contraction was observed at the donor site in 2 cases. Although free flap transfe...
Article
Adiponectin has been shown to play a critical role in immunity. Recently, we reported that the adiponectin levels after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) were higher in recipients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). However, the effects of adiponectin on extracellular matrix (ECM) and regulatory factors in dermal fibroblasts re...
Article
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To date, nerve stumps have been dissected at the proximal side of the donor muscle for reinnervation of the muscle in free neurovascular muscle transfer. Herein, we examined the use of the distal thoracodorsal nerve, dissected from the muscle belly at the distal side of the latissimus dorsi muscle, for the reinnervation of muscle. The rat right lat...
Article
Background: Although bleaching treatment using all-trans retinoic acid (RA) and hydroquinone (HQ) improves epidermal melanosis, the application of two medications and the irritant dermatitis induced by RA inconvenience patients. To overcome these problems, we developed a silicone sheet containing RA and HQ. Objective: To compare the efficacy of...
Article
A 2-year-old girl presented to us with a bluish pigmented patch on her palm that had been present since she was 10 months old. She had no family history of pigmentary disorder. Histopathological examination revealed that elongated dendritic cells containing melanin granules were scattered in the dermis. We diagnosed the pigmentation as an aberrant...
Article
We experienced three patients with long-standing unilateral complete facial paralysis who previously underwent temporalis muscle transfer to the cheek for smile reconstruction. All patients complained of insufficient and uncomfortable buccal motion synchronised with masticatory movements and incomplete eyelid closure with ptotic eyebrow. To attain...
Article
Permanent make-up by tattooing on the face has become popular to save time and maintain a made-up face. However, according to the popularity of tattooing, the number of patients who want to remove their tattoos is also increasing because of disappointing tattoo designs or colors. To remove the original tattoo for permanent make-up, tattoo artists r...
Article
Among the various types of vascular malformations, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) feature a wide range of clinical presentations and an unpredictable course. Surgical radical resection is supposed to be one of the most ideal therapeutic options ; however, it is often difficult due to the possibility of uncontrollable bleeding, functional distur...
Article
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is experienced as symptoms such as severe pain, swelling, articular contracture, and atrophic changes of the skin. The pathogenesis of the condition is not fully understood. Among the 74 cases of patients who underwent finger replantation and succeeded in fingers being salvaged, we experienced 3 cases of CPRS....
Article
Background: Neurovascular free muscle transfer is one of the main reconstructive options for established or long-standing facial paralysis. The two-stage gracilis muscle transfer combined with the cross-face nerve graft (two-stage method) has been supplanted by one-stage reconstruction using the latissimus dorsi muscle (LD) at our institution. Thi...
Article
Full-text available
The minimally-invasive nature of sclerotherapy makes it one of the first treatment options for venous malformations, although treatment-related complications, such as peripheral nerve paralysis, have been reported in some clinical cases. However, no studies of the aetiology of the detrimental effects of intraluminally-administered sclerotic agents...
Article
Sclerotherapy is useful for the treatment of arteriovenous vascular malformations. However, intravascular administration of sclerotic agents into small arteriovenous niduses is often difficult. Extravascular administration of sclerotic agents causes reduction of vascular flow on Doppler echo during clinical sclerotherapy. Therefore, we aimed to inv...
Article
Full-text available
Clinically, wounds on the face tend to heal with less scarring than those on the trunk, but the causes of this difference have not been clarified. Fibroblasts obtained from different parts of the body are known to show different properties. To investigate whether the characteristic properties of facial and trunk wound healing are caused by differen...
Article
: One issue in the adoption of autologous fat transfer to the breast is concern over mammographic changes that may obscure cancer detection. The authors compared mammographic changes following fat grafting to the breast with changes seen after breast reduction. : Twenty-seven women who had normal preoperative mammograms were treated with fat grafti...