LAUSR

Although high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) was originally known as a nuclear protein, it also acts as an extracellular protein and proinflammatory cytokine. Furthermore, recent evidence demonstrated that both intracellular and extracellular HMGB1 contribute to carcinogenesis, cancer progression, or lymph node metastasis. Overexpression of HMGB1 in cancer tissue or elevation of HMGB1 levels in the serum of cancer patients are associated with poor prognosis in various types of cancer. Regarding esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), it was reported that HMGB1 was overexpressed in ESCC tissue, and high expression of HMGB1 was associated with tumor progression, poor prognosis, and the development of radioresistance; however, the effects of extracellular HMGB1 on ESCC cells or plasma HMGB1 on patients with ESCC remains unclear. Human recombinant soluble thrombomodulin (rTM), which has been approved in Japan for the treatment of disseminated intravascular coagulation, not only has anticoagulation effects but also anti-inflammatory effects through adsorption of extracellular HMGB1. Moreover, a recent study reported the anti-tumor effects of rTM; however, it remains unclear whether rTM can affect tumor progression by attenuating the effects of extracellular HMGB1. PRESENT