{"id":9372,"date":"2025-11-12T14:00:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T05:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/?page_id=9372"},"modified":"2025-11-17T14:20:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T05:20:41","slug":"kumanogoh2025-11-12","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/activities\/results\/2025year\/kumanogoh2025-11-12","title":{"rendered":"Kotaro Miyake, Atsushi Kumanogoh \u226aRespiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology\u226b <span>Reaching the unreachable: New technique opens route to deep lung tumors\r\nA balloon-assisted endoscopy technique enables safe, direct access to peripheral lung fields for early lung cancer diagnosis.<\/span>"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"linkBar clearfix\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/activities\/results\/2025year\/kumanogoh2025-11-12\">Text in Japanese<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Thorax<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Researchers at The University of Osaka have engineered a novel technique, Balloon-Assisted Bronchoscope Delivery (BDBD), to guide endoscopes to small, early-stage lung cancers hidden deep within the periphery of the lungs. By using a small balloon to gently widen the airways, this innovative method overcomes the physical limitations of conventional bronchoscopy, promising to revolutionize both the accuracy of early diagnosis and the potential for minimally invasive treatment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"figure\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-9364\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/585a74094c5ae3754d9eacaeb89efb98-400x219.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/585a74094c5ae3754d9eacaeb89efb98-400x219.png 400w, https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/585a74094c5ae3754d9eacaeb89efb98-1024x562.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/585a74094c5ae3754d9eacaeb89efb98-768x421.png 768w, https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/585a74094c5ae3754d9eacaeb89efb98.png 1134w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><br \/>Figure 1.Caption: Ballon Bilatation for Bronchoscopy Delivery method.<br \/>License\uff1aOriginal content.<br \/>Usage restriction: \u00a0Credit must be given to the creator.<br \/>Credit: Kotaro Miyake<\/p>\n<p>Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. While CT scans have improved the detection of small, suspicious lesions in the peripheral lung fields, obtaining a definitive diagnosis requires a tissue biopsy. However, the bronchi\u2014the airways of the lung\u2014become progressively narrower and more complex toward the periphery, making it physically impossible for conventional bronchoscopes to reach these remote targets. Clinicians were often forced to stop several centimeters away, limiting the precision of biopsies and subsequent treatment.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of pursuing thinner endoscopes, the research team adopted a paradigm-shifting approach: widening the airway to create a path. The BDBD method involves advancing a thin catheter with a small balloon to the point where the bronchial pathway narrows. The balloon is gently inflated, dilating the bronchus and allowing the bronchoscope to be advanced further toward the lesion. In a first-in-human clinical trial, the team successfully demonstrated that this technique is both safe and effective, enabling access to lesions smaller than 20 mm.<\/p>\n<p>The BDBD technique offers a major breakthrough by enabling access to the peripheral lung field with minimal burden on the patient through the use of a simple balloon catheter. This enhanced accessibility is expected to dramatically improve the diagnostic accuracy for early-stage lung cancer, allowing for earlier and more effective intervention. Furthermore, it paves the way for future endoscopic therapies, where tumors can be treated in a minimally invasive manner without the need for major surgery.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;BDBD is a homegrown Japanese technology developed through industry-academia collaboration,&#8221; says Professor Atsushi Kumanogoh. &#8220;Our study has demonstrated its utility and safety. By allowing us to reach deep into the lungs where we couldn&#8217;t before, we expect to significantly expand the options for early diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment of lung cancer.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"TextBlock\">\n<p>###<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The article, \u201cBalloon dilatation for bronchoscope delivery: First-in-human trial of a novel technique for peripheral lung field access,\u201d will be published in <em>Thorax <\/em>at DOI: <a href=\"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1136\/thorax-2025-223218\">http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1136\/thorax-2025-223218<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Summary:<br \/><\/strong>Researchers at The University of Osaka developed the Balloon-Assisted Bronchoscope Delivery (BDBD) technique and in a first-in-human clinical trial, the team successfully demonstrated that this technique is both safe and effective, enabling access to lesions smaller than 20 mm. By using a small balloon to gently widen airways, it allows endoscopes to reach deep, peripheral lung tumors, promising more accurate cancer diagnosis and new minimally invasive treatment options.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tweet:<\/strong><br \/>Reaching the unreachable! Our new balloon technique opens a route to deep lung tumors, enabling earlier and more precise cancer diagnosis.<br \/>@UOsaka_en<\/p>\n<p><strong>Primary Keyword: <\/strong>Life Sciences &amp; Medicine<\/p>\n<p><strong>Additional Keyword:<br \/><\/strong> cancer treatments, cancer immunotherapy, chimeric antigen receptor therapy, leukemia, monoclonal antibodies, cell transplantation, mouse models<\/p>\n<p><strong>Method of Research: <\/strong>Randomized controlled\/clinical study<\/p>\n<p><strong>Subject of Research:<\/strong> People<\/p>\n<p class=\"figure\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-9365 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/217c2dd5d216dbd105a8b3e7876886f4-400x121.png?_t=1762737989\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"121\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/217c2dd5d216dbd105a8b3e7876886f4-400x121.png 400w, https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/217c2dd5d216dbd105a8b3e7876886f4-1024x310.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/217c2dd5d216dbd105a8b3e7876886f4-768x232.png 768w, https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/217c2dd5d216dbd105a8b3e7876886f4.png 1134w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><br \/>Figure 2.Caption: A ballon catheter for Ballon Dilatation for Bronchoscopy Delivery method. A compact balloon catheter measuring 3.5\u20135.0 mm in diameter and 10 mm in length, featuring a soft, flexible tip.<br \/>License\uff1aOriginal content<br \/>Usage restriction: \u00a0Credit must be given to the creator.<br \/>Credit: Kotaro Miyake<\/p>\n<div class=\"TextBlock\">\n<p>Title: \u201cBalloon dilatation for bronchoscope delivery: First-in-human trial of a novel technique for peripheral lung field access\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Journal:<em>Thorax<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Authors:Kotaro Miyake, Masahide Oki, Hidekazu Suzuki, Hideo Saka, Shinji Sasada, Norio Okamoto, Tatsuya Imabayashi, Yoshihito Kogure, Takayuki Shiroyama, Haruhiko Hirata, Izumi Nagatomo, Yoshito Takeda, Atsushi Kumanogoh<br \/><strong>DOI: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1136\/thorax-2025-223218\">10.1136\/thorax-2025-223218<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Funded by:<\/strong> KANEKA CORPORATION<\/p>\n<p><strong>Article publication date:<\/strong> 17-NOV-2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Text in Japanese Thorax Researchers at The University of Osaka have engineered a novel technique, Balloon-Assi [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9364,"parent":8696,"menu_order":18,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9372"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9372"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9434,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9372\/revisions\/9434"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8696"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}