Biological effects of fibrous and particulate substances and related areas: foreword
Environ Health Prev Med
Biological effects of fibrous and particulate substances and related areas: foreword
Takemi Otsuki 0 1
0 T. Otsuki (&) Department of Hygiene, Kawasaki Medical School , 577 Matsushima, Kurashiki 7010192 , Japan
1 Among the symposia organized by the various study groups of the Japanese Society for Hygiene (JSH), the Study Group on Fibrous and Particulate Substances (SGFPS) presented the symposium ''Biological Effects of Fibrous and Particulate Substances and Related Areas'', chaired by Dr Seishiro Hirano (Environmental Health Sciences Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies , Tsukuba , Japan) and Professor Takemi Otsuki (Kawasaki Medical School, Japan), on 29 March, 2008 as part of the program of the 78th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Hygiene (JSH). The SGFPS started its activity in 2006. Medical and social issues regarding asbestos-related malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) were raised previously in the summer of 2005. This issue has made people in Japan aware that asbestos causes malignant diseases, for example MPM, lung cancers, and asbestosis, through both industrial and environmental exposure. At the 76th Annual Meeting of the JSH held in 2006 at Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan, the SGFPS held a symposium entitled ''Asbestos: Science and Society.'' The SGFPS then had two special sessions at the 78th Annual Meeting of the JSH. One session involved a symposium entitled ''Malignant Mesothelioma'', for which our study group invited mesothelioma specialists in Japan to improve recognition of this disease and develop preventive measures for this disease in the field of hygiene. The speakers were Professor Kouki Inai from Hiroshima University, Dr Yoshitaka Sekido from Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Professor Okio Hino from Juntendo University School of Medicine
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and Professor Takashi Nakano from Hyogo College of
Medicine. Reviews of speaker presentations were
published in Vol. 13, No 2 of this journal as a special feature
on malignant mesothelioma. The other session was a
workshop, chaired by Professor Otsuki, in which five
members of the SGFPS presented their research topics. Dr
Ayako Takata (St Marianna University School of
Medicine, Japan) presented ‘‘Hazard assessment of product
materials of the innocuous process of asbestos’’ and Dr
Yasumitsu Nishimura (Kawasaki Medical School) focused
on the ‘‘Functional alteration of the NK cells upon the
long-term exposure to asbestos’’. In addition, Dr Akiyo
Tanaka and Miyuki Hirata (Kyushu University, Graduate
School of Medicine, Japan) lectured on ‘‘Pulmonary
toxicity of dispersed carbon nanofiber instilled intratracheally
in rats’’ and Dr Seishiro Hirano delivered a presentation
on the ‘‘Cellular uptake and translocation of
nanoparticles’’. Furthermore, Professor Shuichi Adachi (Sagami
Women’s University, Japan) made an additional
presentation focusing on the ‘‘Prevention of mesothelioma by
anti-oxidants’’. Many people attended the symposium and
workshop, and members of the JSH were encouraged to
investigate the prevention and treatment of
asbestos-related MPM.
During the 78th Annual Meeting of the JSH, the SGFPS
held a special symposium entitled ‘‘Biological Effects of
Fibrous and Particulate Substances and Related Areas’’
chaired by Dr Hirano and Professor Otsuki. The purpose of
this symposium was to recognize recent developments
related to fibrous and particulate substances. The four
members of the SGFPS introduced their research highlights
that improved our understanding of recent scientific
advances regarding fibrous and particulate substances. Dr
Hirano summarized recent topics concerning nanoparticle
research as ‘‘Worldwide trend for a safety evaluation of
nanoparticles’’. Dr Yuichiro Kudo (Kitasato University,
School of Medicine, Japan) then presented results
pertaining to ‘‘The evaluation of the safety of asbestos
substitutes’’. Professor Akira Ogami (Institute of Industrial
Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and
Environmental Health, Japan) then focused on ‘‘Inhalation
and instillation studies of submicron and nano particles—
importance of characterization of particles’’. Finally,
Professor Otsuki delivered a summarized presentation on
‘‘Cytokine alteration and speculated immunological
pathophysiology in silicosis and asbestos-related diseases’’.
In this special feature of Environmental Health and
Preventive Medicine, Dr Hirano, Dr Kudo and Prof. Otsuki
provide a brief review of their specialties. All members of
the JSH, irrespective of their attendance at the
abovementioned symposium, can enjoy this special feature and
obtain detailed information concerning recent advances in
studies of fibrous and particulate substances. (...truncated)