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Munekata Takeshi

Faculty of Dental Medicine　Division of Dental Medicine　Department of Pathobiological ScienceResearch Fellow

Researcher basic information

■ Degree
  • 博士（歯学）, 北海道大学
■ URL
researchmap URLホームページURL■ Various IDs
Researcher number
  • 11037574
J-Global ID■ Research Keywords and Fields
Research Field
  • Life Science, Tumor biology
  • Life Science, Experimental pathology
  • Life Science, Surgical dentistry

Career

■ Career
Career
  • Apr. 2026 - Present
    Hokkaido University, 大学院歯学研究院, 学術研究員
  • Apr. 2021 - Mar. 2022
    北海道大学病院, 研修歯科医
Educational Background
  • Apr. 2022 - Mar. 2026, Hokkaido University, 大学院歯学院
  • Apr. 2015 - Mar. 2021, Hokkaido University, School of Dental Medicine

Research activity information

■ Awards
  • Aug. 2026, 第37回日本臨床口腔病理学会総会・学術大会, 優秀発表賞
  • Sep. 2025, 第84回日本癌学会学術総会, JCA若手研究者ポスター賞
  • Sep. 2025, 第25回日本歯科医学会学術大会, ポスター賞
  • Jul. 2025, 第29回日本がん分子標的治療学会学術集会, ポスター賞
  • Jun. 2025, 第34回日本がん転移学会学術集会, 若手奨励賞
  • May 2025, 第79回NPO法人日本口腔科学会学術集会, 若手優秀ポスター賞
  • May 2023, 第60回日本口腔科学会北日本地方部会, 新人賞
  • Mar. 2021, 北海道大学, 北海道大学クラーク賞
  • Jul. 2016, 北海道大学, 北海道大学新渡戸賞
■ Papers
  • Successful surgical management of a patient with osteoradionecrosis of the jaw with RET fusion-positive advanced thyroid cancer: A case report.
    Taku Kimura; Ken-Ichiro Sakata; Kazuhito Yoshikawa; Takeshi Munekata; Tatsuki Itagaki; Taku Maeda; Junichi Kanayama; Jun Sato; Aya Yanagawa Matsuda; Yoshimasa Kitagawa
    Experimental and therapeutic medicine, 30, 2, 148, 148, Aug. 2025, [Peer-reviewed], [International Magazine]
    English, Scientific journal, Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the jaw is a severe complication of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Extensive surgical resection has shown promising outcomes; however, patients' prognosis must be considered. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) generally has a favorable prognosis, whereas metastatic PTC is considered a refractory disease against conventional treatment. Recently, comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) has enabled clinicians to provide personalized medicine, offering patients with intractable disease further therapeutic options. The present case study reported on a patient with advanced PTC who developed ORN during lenvatinib treatment; extensive surgical treatment with submandibular dissection for ORN provided a favorable outcome. Pathological examination unexpectedly revealed PTC metastases in the dissected right submandibular gland. Postoperatively, the patient experienced worsening metastases to the lung and liver. CGP identified a CCDC6-RET fusion, prompting selpercatinib treatment, which achieved a partial response. This report aims to emphasize that extensive surgical treatment for ORN should be considered, even in patients with advanced cancer, if the patients' condition is stable. In addition, submandibular dissection is warranted in selected patients, particularly when thyroid cancer exhibits an aggressive phenotype with occult metastases. Furthermore, this report highlights the importance of integrating personalized medicine in the management of advanced cancer cases and emphasizes the availability of genomic profiling to guide treatment decisions.
  • Challenging differentiation of oral malignant lymphoma from osteomyelitis of the jawbone: A case report.
    Takeshi Munekata; Takuya Asaka; Ken-Ichiro Sakata; Taku Kimura; Aya Matsuda; Nako Maishi; Chiharu Satoh; Yoshimasa Kitagawa
    Molecular and clinical oncology, 22, 6, 54, 54, Jun. 2025, [Peer-reviewed], [International Magazine]
    English, Scientific journal, Malignant lymphoma (ML) of the head and neck frequently occurs in the cervical lymph nodes and Waldeyer's ring. Although ML of the maxillofacial region is rare, extranodal ML can present with symptoms similar to those of inflammation and other tumors, making diagnosis difficult. The present study describes the case of a 59-year-old female patient with ML, which was difficult to distinguish from mandibular osteomyelitis. The patient presented to Department of Oral Medicine, Hokkaido University Hospital (Sapporo, Japan) for evaluation of left cheek swelling and osteomyelitis. The X-ray examination, and contrast-enhanced CT and MRI images indicated chronic odontogenic mandibular osteomyelitis. The diagnosis of chronic osteomyelitis was pathologically confirmed by biopsy of the tooth with an apical lesion and surrounding bone, and the extraction socket demonstrated early epithelialization. However, the swelling persisted. Therefore, a second biopsy was performed, which revealed only inflammatory findings. The blood test results were unremarkable, and the diagnosis was consistent between bone scintigraphy and FDG-PET. The swelling worsened 6 months after the initial examination, and a palpable hard lump was observed in the left mandibular vestibule. A third biopsy was performed due to the presence of left facial nerve paralysis, which confirmed the diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The patient was treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone. The soft tissue thickening and cheek swelling were resolved, and the patient achieved remission. In the present case, the diagnosis was challenging due to the presence of chronic mandibular osteomyelitis derived from periapical periodontitis and extranodal marginal lymphoma of the mandible. Establishing a diagnosis of ML by biopsy can be complex, and considering the possibility of ML when managing unusual and persistent facial swelling is important.
  • Salivary miRNAs as a novel therapeutic marker in a patient with advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma: A case report.
    Taku Kimura; Ken-Ichiro Sakata; Noritaka Ohga; Jun Sato; Tatsuki Itagaki; Takeshi Munekata; Aya Yanagawa-Matsuda; Taku Maeda; Masahiro Hojo; Kanako C Hatanaka; Yutaka Hatanaka; Hisashi Iizasa
    Oncology letters, 29, 1, 52, 52, Jan. 2025, [Peer-reviewed], [International Magazine]
    English, Scientific journal, The global prevalence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has been increasing. OSCC at the advanced stage tends to resist conventional treatment and causes local recurrence and distant metastasis, resulting in poor prognosis. Therefore, detecting this cancer at an early stage and performing early intervention are important. Promising biomarkers to detect OSCC have yet to be established; however, microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) serve a crucial role in OSCC tumorigenesis and may be potential biomarkers. In the present case report, the availability of salivary miRNAs as a therapeutic and prognostic marker for patients with OSCC was assessed. The patient was a 33-year-old woman who was diagnosed with advanced OSCC of the tongue, and their miRNA profile isolated from a saliva sample at each clinical course was evaluated. Microarray analysis of the salivary samples revealed changes in the levels of four miRNAs (hsa-miR-6798-5p, miR-6803-5p, miR-6805-5p and miR-6845-5p) in accordance with the clinical course. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgical procedure decreased the levels, whereas the levels increased when the patient was diagnosed with lung metastasis. Furthermore, tongue and lung metastatic lesion specimens exhibited expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2, which is regulated by the four miRNAs. Accordingly, the present report proposed that salivary miRNAs could be a therapeutic and prognostic biomarker for OSCC.
  • Plummer‒Vinson Syndrome with Ascending Colon Cancer : A Case Report
    Munekata, Takeshi; Sakata, Ken-ichiro; Shirakawa, Hikaru; Sato, Jun; Satoh, Chiharu; Murai, Chika; Ohga, Noritaka; Kitagawa, Yoshimasa
    Hokkaido journal of dental science, 44, 81, 86, 北海道歯学会, 15 Sep. 2023, [Peer-reviewed]
    Japanese, Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia in Jap an, and iron deficiency inhibits blood pigment production, resulting in microcytic hypochromic anemia. Glossitis and angular cheilitis occur owing to the atrophy of the oral mucosa and poor regeneration of the mucosal epithelium. When this is accompanied by dysphagia, it is called Plummer‒Vinson syndrome. Regarding the diagnosis of the iron deficiency anemia, peripheral blood tests reveal microcytic hypopigmented anemia (MCV, ≤80 ; MCHC, ≤30), and the hemoglobin level (Hb) decreases. Biochemical tests reveal a decreased serum iron (Fe) level of <60 μg/dL, decreased serum ferritin levels, and increased total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and unsaturated iron-binding capacity (UIBC). We report a case of Plummer‒Vinson syndrome with the considerable improvement of oral symptoms by iron replacement therapy, and ascending colon cancer was found to be the cause of the iron deficiency anemia. A 70-year-old woman complained of abnormal taste. Her eyelid co njunctiva was pale, and her oral cavity showed a partial atrophy of the tongue papillae. Blood test results at h er first visit were as follows: MCV, 69; MCHC, 24.6; Fe, 6 μg/dL; Hb, 4.1 g/dL; TIBC, 445 μg/dL; and UIBC, 437 μg/dL. With the Plummer‒Vinson syndrome diagnosis, the iron replacement therapy with sodium ferrous citrate (Feromia®) and ferric pyrophosphate (Incremin®) was started and blood tests were performed over time. Two months after starting the iron replacement therapy, the hyperemia of the palpebral conjunctiva, recovery of the tongue papillae, and imp rovement of oral symptoms were observed. Blood test results are as follows: Fe, 99 μg/dL; Hb, 10 g/dL; TIB C, 329 μg/dL; and UIBC, 230 μg/dL. Incr eased Fe and Hb levels and decreased TIBC and UIBC levels were observed. Thereafter, ascending colon cancer was confirmed based on the results of a detailed examination of the cause of the iron deficiency anemia at the Department of Gastroenterology. These results suggest that the appropriate iron replacement the rapy for Plummer‒Vinson syndrome improves oral symptoms and blood test results at an early stage. Moreover, the active examination of the cause of the iron deficiency anemia was suggested to be necessary for refractory cases not showing long-term improvement.
  • An elderly case of myasthenia gravis accompanied by dislocation of temporomandibular joints
    SATO Jun; SAKATA Ken-ichiro; ASAKA Takuya; OHGA Noritaka; KONDO Yurie; ITAGAKI Tatsuki; AKAHORI Erika; MUNEKATA Takeshi; KATO Yasushi; KITAGAWA Yoshimasa
    Oral Science in Japan, 2023, 13, 14, 2023
    English
■ Other Activities and Achievements
■ Affiliated academic society
  • Jul. 2025 - Present
    日本血管生物医学会
  • Jun. 2025 - Present
    日本臨床口腔病理学会
  • Apr. 2025 - Present
    日本癌学会
  • Apr. 2025 - Present
    日本がん分子標的治療学会
  • Feb. 2025 - Present
    日本がん転移学会
  • Jun. 2023 - Present
    日本病理学会
  • Nov. 2021 - Present
    日本口腔科学会
  • Aug. 2021 - Present
    日本口腔外科学会
■ Research Themes