• Podoplanin (PDPN/Aggrus/T1α), a platelet aggregation-inducing mucin-like sialoglycoprotein, is highly expressed in many cancers and normal tissues. A neutralizing monoclonal antibody (mAb; NZ-1) can block the association between podoplanin and C-type lectin-like receptor-2 (CLEC-2) and inhibit podoplanin-induced cancer metastasis, but NZ-1 reacts with podoplanin-expressing normal cells such as lymphatic endothelial cells. Recently, we established a platform to produce cancer-specific mAbs (CasMabs). The newly established LpMab-2 mAb reacted with podoplanin-expressing cancer cells but not with normal cells, as shown by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry; therefore, LpMab-2 is an anti-podoplanin CasMab that is expected to be useful for molecular targeting therapy against podoplanin-expressing cancers.

We can produce cancer-specific mAbs (CasMabs) against all membranous proteins. CasMabs are expected to be useful for molecular targeting therapy without side effects.

• In the dental magnetic attachments which retain dentures, superstructures of dental implants, and so on, the non-magnetic stainless steel containing nickel is used in order to reinforce their retentive force by a magnetic circuit. The surface layer of magnetic stainless steel which loses its magnetism by nitrogen-solid solution obtained from heating in nitrogen gas at high temperature, enable to form a magnetic circuit, which does not contain nickel at all, and to reduce its components and manufacturing processes. The method using the nitrogen-solid solution in this study is warrantable to manufacture the nickel-free dental magnetic attachment with high safety.

The nickel-free magnetic attachment realizes a retainer with higher safety, and can expect the application to medical and dental care for clinical uses, such as not only a denture but a dental implant, an epithese, and so on with easy desorption.