• Development and Reproduction
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.227-237
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• 2009

Recently, adipose mesenchymal stem cells (AdMSC) that are similar to bone marrow MSC and blood derived MSC are thought to be another source for stem cell therapy. However, the diseases that can be applied for stem cells therapy are age-dependent degenerative diseases. Accordingly, the present study investigated the growth and differentiation potential to neural cells of human AdMSC (hAdMSC) obtained from aged thirty, forty and fifty. The growth of cells and cell viability were measured by passage and neural differentiation of hAdMSC was induced in neural differentiation condition for 10 days. Our results demonstrated that cell number, viability and morphology were not different from hAdMSC by age and passage. Immunofluorescence analysis of neural cell marker (TuJ1, NSE, Sox2, GFAP or MAP2) demonstrated no significant differences in neural cell differentiation by age and passage. As the number of passage was increased, the mRNA level of MAP2 and Sox2 was decreased in hAdMSC from age of 50 compared to hAdMSC from age of 30. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that ability of neural cell differentiation of hAdMSC was maintained with ages, suggesting that autologous stem cells from aged people can be applied for stem cell therapy with age-dependent neural disease with the same stem cell quality and ability as stem cell derived from young age.

• Journal of the korean veterinary medical association
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• v.41 no.10
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• pp.918-928
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• 2005

체세포 핵이식을 통한 정상인과 환자 체세포 유래의 다능성 인간배아 줄기세포주 확립 및 응용 - 체세포 핵이식을 통한 다능성 인간 배아 줄기세포주 확립의 기술적 측면 - 인간배아줄기세포의 분화 : 발생생물학적 접근 및 세포치료에 대한 전망 - 마우스 배아줄기세포 기능들의 호르몬 조절 - 간엽줄기세포를 이용한 골조직 공학 - 조혈모세포의 재생 - 제대혈 유래 간엽줄기세포를 이용한 세포치료 - 난치성 혈액종양질환에서 수지상세포를 이용한 세포면역치료법 확립

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.185-207
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• 2012

Since the Hwang scandal, the South Korean state has expressed often-conflicting interests of encouraging stem cell research and the IVF industry to save the country and introducing the ethical regulation in conformity with "Global Standard." As the tightening ethical regulation of stem cell research has enervated the field of human Embryonic stem cell(hESC) research, somatic stem cells (re-)emerged as an alternative savior that could rescue the future of research communities, bio-industry, practicing doctors, patients and the nation itself from the crisis. The recent literature on Korean biotechnology, however, mainly focus on hESC and relatively little attention has been given to the rapidly growing field of research on somatic stem cells like hematopoietic stem cells(HSCs) or Adipose derived stem cells(ASCs). While the hESC therapy is often regarded as experimental and ethically controversial, the HSCs or Mesenchymal stem cell(MSC) therapies have already made their ways into people's everyday life through market without much public discussion. Many ordinary people in South Korea are familiar with the story of patients who survived leukemia with the HSCs treatment; the number of doctors who are actively marketing the ASCs therapies is on the rapid increase; the concept of cosmetic products made from ASCs is gaining popularity among consumers. In this context, this article argues that the current ethical debates solely focusing on hESC or on the state policy and research regulation are too limiting to fully illuminate the politics of stem cell technologies in South Korea.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.233-241
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• 2010

Human adipose stem cells are an abundant, readily available population of multipotent progenitor cells that reside in adipose tissue and these cells have characteristics very similar to bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMMSCs). However, liposuction procedure, donor age, body mass index, and harvesting sites might generate differences in the initial cell population and the preparations are a heterogeneous mixture of precursors with different subsets. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the characteristics of human thigh adipose stem cells and the differentiation potential into mesodermal and endodermal lineage. Thigh adipose stem cells maintained fibroblast-like morphology similar to BM-MSCs and they underwent average 56.5 doublings and produced $5{\times}10^{22}$ cells. These cells expressed SCF, Oct4, nanog, vimentin, CK18, FGF5, NCAM, Pax6, BMP4, HNF4a, nestin, GATA4, HLA-ABC, and HLA-DR genes at p3 and they also expressed Oct4, Thy-1, FSP, vWF, vimentin, desmin, CK18, CD54, CD4, CD106, CD31, a-SMA, HLA-ABC proteins. Moreover, they could differentiate into mesodermal lineage cells such as adipocyte, osteoblast and chondrocyte. In addition, they also differentiated into insulin secreting cells in our culture condition. In conclusion, human thigh adipose stem cells retain proliferative potential and expression patterns similar to BM-MSCs and they also differentiate into various cell types. Thus, human thigh adipose stem cells might be useful alternative cell source for clinical application.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.271-280
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• 2009

Human placenta is abundant source of adult stem cells. Especially, amniotic epithelial cells have stem cell characteristics, expressing surface markers normally present on embryonic stem cells and germ cells. However, culturing and expanding amniotic epithelial cells in vitro without feeder cells are difficult due to endogenous characteristics of epithelial cells. In the present study, amniotic epithelial cells are isolated and proliferated in several passages by applying dithiothreitol and a Rho-associated kinase inhibitor in culture media. The cultured amniotic epithelial cells showed the epithelial and stem cell characteristics. In conclusion, human placenta-derived amniotic epithelial stem cells can be a major source of stem cells for medical treatment of various diseases without any controversial issues.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.99-113
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• 2010

Objective: It has been recently reported that very small stem cells with pluripotency are detected in murine and human. The purposes of this study are to confirm whether very small putative stem cells (VSPSCs), which have the proper characteristics of stem cells as well as the expression of stem cell markers, are detected in human endometrium. Methods: The endometrial cells of 5 women, which were obtained by endometrial biopsy, were cultured for 2 weeks and were confirmed for the expressions of alkaline phosphatase, OCT-4 and CXCR4 by immunochemistry. Subsequently VSPSCs were separated by percoll density gradient method and were cultured. Also VSPSCs and their derived cells were confirmed for the expressions of OCT-4 and CXCR4. Results: The colonies, which is composed with VSPSCs less than 3 ${\mu}m$ and the 5~15 ${\mu}m$ sized hyperchromatic round cells, were detected in the endometrium of all of women and showed the strong expressions of alkaline phosphatase, OCT-4 and CXCR4. In culture after the separation of VSPSCs by percoll, these cells showed the morphological and functional characteristics of stem cells; self-renewal, colony formation, embryoid body-like formation and differential plasticity. VSPSCs formed gradually the 5~15 ${\mu}m$ sized hyperchromatic round cells and the 10~20 ${\mu}m$ sized sphere-shaped cells by cell-to-cell aggregation or cell fusion. Then these cells differentiated the various cells including fibroblast-like cells, nerve-like cells and endothelium-like cells. VSPSCs and their derived cells often showed the strong expressions of OCT-4 and CXCR4. Conclusion: VSPSCs less than 3 ${\mu}m$ and their derived cells are detected in human endometrium and these cells have the proper characteristics of stem cells and the expressions of stem cell markers as alkaline phosphatase, OCT-4 and CXCR4.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.191-200
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• 2009

Dental Pulp Stem Cells are superior to other types of adult stem cell. Because of teeth are easy to access and are extracted throughout life. A supernumerary tooth is an important clinical problem found in various populations of the world. The incidence of supernumerary teeth varies depending on the literature source. Pediatric dentists are routinely extracted them. However, no studies have been reported regarding Dental Pulp stem cells in a supernumerary tooth, and we failed to note that a valuable source of human stem cell. Herein, we tried to show that a supernumerary tooth contains cells that display the characteristic features of stem cells.

• Patent21
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• s.67
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• pp.14-31
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• 2006

본 보고서는 한국, 일본, 미국, 유럽, 국제특허로 출원된 줄기세포분야 특허를 객관적이고 체계적인 방법으로 조사ㆍ분석하여 이를 통해 얻어진 분석결과를 국내 줄기세포 관련 연구자들 및 정책 입안자들에게 제공함으로써 특허마인드의 확산ㆍ특허와 연계된 연구방향 설정수립에 기여하며 국가적 차원의 정책수립을 위한 기초자료로 활용하기 위해 작성된 줄기세포 특허 분석 보고서로서 특허청의 용역사업으로 한국특허정보원이 수행하여 발간한 내용을 요약, 정리한 것이다.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.191-219
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• 2015

The Japanese government has announced that it would invest 30 billion yen in iPS cell research for the next 10 year, and the Japan National Assembly has made an act that supports the iPS cell research. This study analyzes 1) the current trend and application field of stem cell research under Japan; 2) recent policy and regulation change in stem cell research and its application under Japan. This treatise reviews about "Act for Promoting Regenerative Medicine", "Act for Assuring Safety of Regenerative Medicine", and "the Revision of Pharmaceutical Act under Japan. This study may serve as the fundamental reference for the improvements of legal and institutional systems with regard to regulations on the stem cell research under Korea.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.137-142
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• 2013

Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are highly useful for vascular regeneration of injured or inflamed tissue. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a potent activator of macrophages and stimulates macrophages to release inflammatory cytokines. In the present study, we explored the role of LPS-activated macrophages in the differentiation of hMSCs to smooth muscle cells (SMCs). We demonstrated that conditioned medium from LPS-induced macrophages (LPS CM) stimulates differentiation of hMSCs to SMCs, as evidenced by increased expression of smooth muscle-specific markers, including alpha-smooth muscle actin (${\alpha}$-SMA), smooth muscle-myosin heavy chain, and calponin. LPS induced the secretion of $PGF2{\alpha}$ from macrophages, and $PGF2{\alpha}$ treatment stimulated expression levels of SMC-specific markers in hMSCs. Furthermore, small interfering RNA-mediated silencing of the $PGF2{\alpha}$ receptor inhibited LPS CM-stimulated ${\alpha}$-SMA expression. These results suggest that LPS-activated macrophages promote differentiation of hMSCs to SMCs through a $PGF2{\alpha}$-dependent mechanism.