• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.51-53
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• 2007

Ginseng shows protective and trophic effects in neurodegenerative diseases in experimental models, and showed cognitive improvement in normal population. To investigate the efficacy of ginseng in patients with Alzheimer's disease, patients, who met NINDS-ADRDA criteria for AD were studied Subjects were randomly assigned to ginseng group and control group, and ginseng group was treated with Korean white ginseng powder (4.5 g/day) for 12 weeks. Efficacy variables included changes in mini-mental status exam (MMSE) and cognitive subscales of Alzheimer's disease assessment scale (ADAS-cog) at 4 weeks and 12 weeks. Baseline MMSE and ADAS scores showed no difference between the two groups. Results showed that ginseng improved ADAS-cog compared to the control group at 12 weeks (p<0.05). MMSE was also increased by ginseng treatment compared to the control at 12 weeks (p<0.01). This study suggests the symptomatic efficacy of ginseng in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.93-98
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• 2012

This study has attempted to establish an analysis method through validation against heavy metals in the body (Pb, Cd and Hg) using ICP-MS and Gold amalgamation and find out the relevance between heavy metal and Alzheimer's disease after analyzing the distribution of heavy metal concentration (Pb, Cd and Hg) and correlations between a control group and Alzheimer's disease group. In this study, Pb and Cd levels in the blood and serum were validation using ICP-MS. For analysis of Hg levels in the blood and serum, the gold amalgamation-based 'Direct Mercury Analyzer' has been used. According to an analysis on the heavy metal concentration (Pb, Cd and Hg concentration) in the blood, Cd concentration was high in the Alzheimer's disease group. In the serum, on the contrary, Pb and Hg were high in the Alzheimer's disease group. For analysis of correlations between heavy metal levels in the blood and serum and Alzheimer's disease, t-test has been performed. Even though correlations were observed between the blood lead levels and Alzheimer's disease, they were statistically insignificant because the concentration was higher in a control group. No significance was found in Cd and Hg. In the serum, on the other hand, no statistical significance was found between the heavy metal (Pb, Cd and Hg) and Alzheimer's disease. In this study, no statistical significance was observed between heavy metal and decrease in cognitive intelligence. However, it appears that a further study needs to be performed because the results of the conventional studies were inconsistent.

• BMB Reports
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• 제48권5호
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• pp.243-248
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• 2015

Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are the most common cause of familial Parkinson's disease (PD). As such, functions and dysfunctions of LRRK2 in PD have been the subject of extensive investigation. In addition to PD, increasing evidence is suggesting that LRRK2 is associated with a wide range of diseases. Genome-wide association studies have implicated LRRK2 in Crohn's disease (CD) and leprosy, and the carriers with pathogenic mutations of LRRK2 show increased risk to develop particular types of cancer. LRRK2 mutations are rarely found in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but LRRK2 might play a part in tauopathies. The association of LRRK2 with the pathogenesis of apparently unrelated diseases remains enigmatic, but it might be related to the yet unknown diverse functions of LRRK2. Here, we reviewed current knowledge on the link between LRRK2 and several diseases, including PD, AD, CD, leprosy, and cancer, and discussed the possibility of targeting LRRK2 in such diseases. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(5): 243-248]

• 한국독성학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국독성학회 2002년도 Current Trends in Toxicological Sciences
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• pp.43-43
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• 2002

Mass spectrometric study of oxidant damage: Generation of endogenous oxidizing species have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of diseases from cancer to Alzheimer's Disease to Inflammatory bowel diseases. Antioxidant compounds may therefore be useful in treating or preventing these diseases.(omitted)

• BMB Reports
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• 제51권1호
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• pp.5-13
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• 2018

Formation of toxic protein aggregates is a common feature and mainly contributes to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), which include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and prion diseases. The transglutaminase 2 (TG2) gene encodes a multifunctional enzyme, displaying four types of activity, such as transamidation, GTPase, protein disulfide isomerase, and protein kinase activities. Many studies demonstrated that the calcium-dependent transamidation activity of TG2 affects the formation of insoluble and toxic amyloid aggregates that mainly consisted of NDD-related proteins. So far, many important and NDD-related substrates of TG2 have been identified, including $amlyoid-{\beta}$, tau, ${\alpha}-synuclein$, mutant huntingtin, and ALS-linked trans-activation response (TAR) DNA-binding protein 43. Recently, the formation of toxic inclusions mediated by several TG2 substrates were efficiently inhibited by TG2 inhibitors. Therefore, the development of highly specific TG2 inhibitors would be an important tool in alleviating the progression of TG2-related brain disorders. In this review, the authors discuss recent advances in TG2 biochemistry, several mechanisms of molecular regulation and pleotropic signaling functions, and the presumed role of TG2 in the progression of many NDDs.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• 제7권3호
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• pp.165-173
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• 2004

This paper reviews the available published literature on the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and COX-2 inhibition properties of phycocyanin from Spirulina. The potential application of for the prevention and mitigation of such radical-induced chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease, and age-related degenerative diseases like Alzheimer＇s disease, Parkinson＇s disease, diabetes and other conditions are discussed based on the available evidence.

• 통합자연과학논문집
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.61-67
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• 2023

Human body ages differently due to environmental, genetic and pathological factors. DNA methylation patterns also differs depending on various factors such as aging and several other diseases. The aging clock model, which uses these differences to predict age, analyzes DNA methylation patterns, recognizes age-specific patterns, predicts age, and grasps the speed and degree of aging. Aging occurs in everyone and causes various problems such as deterioration of physical ability and complications. Alzheimer's disease is a disease associated with aging and the most common brain degenerative disease. This disease causes various cognitive functions disabilities such as dementia and impaired judgment to motor functions, making daily life impossible. It has been reported that the incidence and progression of this disease increase with aging, and that increased phosphorylation of Aβ and tau proteins, which are overexpressed in this disease and accelerates epigenetic aging. It has also been reported that DNA methylation is significantly increased in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex of Alzheimer's disease patients. Therefore, we calculated the biological age using the Epi clock, a pan-tissue aging clock model, and confirmed that the epigenetic age of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease is lower than their actual age. Also, it was confirmed to slow down aging.

• BMB Reports
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• 제46권8호
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• pp.398-403
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• 2013

Inflammatory conditions mediated by activated microglia lead to chronic neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases. This study was conducted to determine the effect of floridoside isolated from marine red algae Laurencia undulata on LPS (100 ng/ml) activated inflammatory responses in BV-2 microglia cells. The results show that floridoside has the ability to suppress pro-inflammatory responses in microglia by markedly inhibiting the production of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, floridoside down-regulated the protein and gene expression levels of iNOS and COX-2 by significantly blocking the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK in BV-2 cells. Collectively, these results indicate that floridoside has the potential to be developed as an active agent for the treatment of neuro-inflammation.

• BMB Reports
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• 제47권7호
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• pp.369-375
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• 2014

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a pleiotropic bioactive peptide that was first isolated from an ovine hypothalamus in 1989. PACAP belongs to the secretin/glucagon/vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) superfamily. PACAP is widely distributed in the central and peripheral nervous systems and acts as a neurotransmitter, neuromodulator, and neurotrophic factor via three major receptors (PAC1, VPAC1, and VPAC2). Recent studies have shown a neuroprotective role of PACAP using in vitro and in vivo models. In this review, we briefly summarize the current findings on the neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects of PACAP in different brain injury models, such as cerebral ischemia, Parkinson's disease (PD), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). This review will provide information for the future development of therapeutic strategies in treatment of these neurodegenerative diseases.

• 한국방사선학회논문지
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• 제10권5호
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• pp.307-312
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• 2016

알츠하이머병은 치매를 일으키는 가장 흔한 퇴행성 뇌 질환이다. 뇌에 축적되는 베타 아밀로이드 단백질은 기억력감퇴, 언어능력 저하등 일상생활 수행 능력이 어렵게 된다. 베타 아밀로이드 플라그 농도는 인지장애를 가진 성인환자에서 알츠하이머 질환과 인지장애의 다른 원인인지를 평가하는 데 사용된다. 베타아밀로이드 단백질에 대한 높은 민감성과 특이성을 가진 $^{18}F$-Florbetaben을 이용하여 알츠하이머병을 조기진단에 유용성을 알아보고자 한다. $^{18}F$-FDG Brain 영상에서 특이소견 없음을 보인다. 그리고 MR-Brain 영상에서 해마의 위축이 없는 것으로 보였다. 하지만 $^{18}F$-Florobetaben에서 베타 아밀로이드의 섭취는 알츠하이머병의 진전이 되고 있음을 알려준다. 따라서, $^{18}F$-Florobetaben은 알츠하이머병을 조기 진단하는 데 매우 유용하다.