Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) invented in Japan, plays an important role in the treatment of early gastrointestinal cancer (EGC) and dysplasia. Endoscopic procedures are now widely spreading around the world. ESD has the advantage that en bloc resection as well as pathological view can be achieved when compared with conventional endoscopic mucosal resection (1). Thanks to the Japanese innovators, these procedures have benefited a great number of patients by improving their life quality. Though ESD has become the standard treatment in Japan for EGCs, there is still much to be developed for the rest of the world.

Therefore, the journal Annals of Translational Medicine has published a special issue dedicated to “Endoscopic therapy in the Japanese state and perspective”. This issue is guest-edited by Dr. Hajime Isomoto from Nagasaki University Hospital and Dr. Kazuhiko Nakao from Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

The Annals of Translational Medicine (Ann Transl Med; ATM; Print ISSN 2305-5839; Online ISSN 2305-5847; www.atmjournal.org) is a monthly journal publishing articles that describe new findings in the field of translational research in medicine, provides current and practical information on diagnosis, prevention and clinical investigations of medicine.

We believe this special issue of ATM will bring the recent advances to our readers and benefit both doctors and patients. The outline of this issue is as follows:

♦ Editorial

Endoscopic procedures developed in Japan
Hajime Isomoto, Kazuhiko Nakao
Department of Endoscopy, Nagasaki University Hospital

♦ Original Article

Oral prednisolone and triamcinolone injection for gastric stricture after endoscopic submucosal dissection
Hiroyuki Shoji, Naoyuki Yamaguchi, Hajime Isomoto, Hitomi Minami, Kayoko Matsushima, Yuko Akazawa, Ken Ohnita, Fuminao Takeshima, Saburo Shikuwa, Kazuhiko Nakao
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nagasaki University Hospital

♦ Clinical Research

How to access photodynamic therapy for bile duct carcinoma
Atsushi Nanashima, Hajime Isomoto, Takafumi Abo, Takashi Nonaka, Tomohito Morisaki, Junichi Arai, Katsunori Takagi, Ken Ohnita, Hiroyuki Shoji, Shigetoshi Urabe, Takemasa Senoo, Goshi Murakami, Takeshi Nagayasu
Division of Surgical Oncology and Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

♦ Review Article

Endoscopic submucosal dissection for superficial Barrett’s esophageal cancer in the Japanese state and perspective
Ryu Ishihara, Sachiko Yamamoto, Noboru Hanaoka, Yoji Takeuchi, Koji Higashino, Noriya Uedo, Hiroyasu Iishi
Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases

Future perspective of gastric cancer endotherapy
Takuji Gotoda, Chika Kusano, Fuminori Moriyasu
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tokyo Medical University

Endoscopic submucosal dissection for colorectal neoplasms
Taku Sakamoto, Hiroyuki Takamaru, Genki Mori, Masayoshi Yamada, Yuzuru Kinjo, Eriko So, Seiichiro Abe, Yosuke Otake, Takeshi Nakajima, Takahisa Matsuda, Yutaka Saito
Endoscopy Division, National Cancer Center Hospital

Desirable training of endoscopic submucosal dissection: further spread worldwide
Yosuke Tsuji, Mitsuhiro Fujishiro, Shinya Kodashima, Keiko Niimi, Satoshi Ono, Nobutake Yamamichi, Kazuhiko Koike
Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo

Cell sheets engineering for esophageal regenerative medicine
Nobuo Kanai, Masayuki Yamato, Teruo Okano
Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science, Tokyo Women’s Medical University

Photodynamic therapy for esophageal cancer
Tomonori Yano, Ken Hatogai, Hiroyuki Morimoto, Yusuke Yoda, Kazuhiro Kaneko
Department of Gastroenterology, Endoscopy Division, National Cancer Center Hospital East

Management of small-bowel polyps at double-balloon enteroscopy
Naoki Ohmiya, Masanao Nakamura, Tomomitsu Tahara, Mitsuo Nagasaka, Yoshihito Nakagawa, Tomoyuki Shibata, Yoshiki Hirooka, Hidemi Goto, Ichiro Hirata
Department of Gastroenterology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine

Peroral endoscopic myotomy for esophageal achalasia
Chainarong Phalanusitthepha, Haruhiro Inoue, Haruo Ikeda, Hiroki Sato, Chiaki Sato, Chananya Hokierti
Minimally Invasive Surgery Unit, Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University

Acknowledgements

Disclosure: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

1. Isomoto H, Nakao K. Endoscopic procedures developed in Japan. Ann Transl Med 2014;2:21.