Dr Yokoyama is co-author of ‘Malignant Ovarian Tumors with Induced Expression of Carbonyl Reductase show Spontaneous Regression’, recently published in Clinical Medicine Insights: Oncology.  We asked Dr Yokoyama to tell us about the background to the paper.

To start please tell us about the genesis of your paper.  Why did you consider it to be important that it should be written?  How does it advance existing knowledge in the field?

Clofibric acid, a PPARα, has the potential to reduce ovarian cancer development by increasing expression of carbonyl reductase in tumors. We planned to study whether or not the growth of ovarian cancer changes with induced carbonyl reductase. If proven, clofibric acid or any agents that can induce carbonyl reductase in malignant tumors will be promising as a molecular-targeting drug for malignant tumors.

When writing a paper what challenges do you face?  How did these challenges impact this particular paper?  Is there anything you plan to do differently in the future to avoid them?

We did not face any difficulties.

Why did you choose to submit your paper to this journal?  What qualities of the journal did you find particularly appealing?  How long have you been aware of the journal?  Did publishing a paper in the journal alter your view of it?

This journal gives us an editorial decision quickly which is why I like it. It took just 2 weeks to receive the final decision which was very satisfactory. The high rate of article views for our work was something that also satisfied me. Our other article, “Clofibric Acid, a Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor Alpha Ligand, Enhances a Suppressive Effect of Cis-diaminedichloroplatinum on Proliferation of Ovarian Carcinoma Cells”, was published in Clinical Medicine Insights: Oncology 2007:1 1-6, so I anticipate the journal will maintain its high standard.

What is your opinion of other papers recently published within the subject area of your paper?  

There are very few articles about the relationship between cancer and carbonyl reductase. Oncologists should be interested in this one.

How has the writing of this paper and its underlying research changed or developed your views or understanding of the field?  

We will apply this research to human ovarian cancers.

share on