• 대한두경부종양학회지
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.11-17
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• 2021

Head and neck cancer is the 6^th most frequently diagnosed solid tumor in the world. Alcohol consumption, smoking, and HPV infection are associated with the incidence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Although a multidisciplinary approach is a key strategy for the treatment of locally advanced HNSCC, systemic therapy is the mainstream of recurrent or metastatic HNSCC treatment. Stage IV HNSCC has a relatively poor prognosis with median overall survival of around one year. There have been many clinical trials to investigate the efficacy of target agents in the treatment of HNSCC. In the HPV-negative HNSCC, TP53 and CDKN2A are the most commonly mutated genes. In the HPV-positive HNSCC, the PI3K pathway is frequently altered. EGFR, PI3K, cell cycle pathway, MET, HRAS, and IL6/JAK/STAT pathway are explored targets in HNSCC. In this study, we review the target pathways and agents under research. We also introduce here umbrella trials of recurrent or metastatic HNSCC conducted by the Korea Cancer Study Group. The combination of target agents with immune checkpoint inhibitors or cytotoxic chemotherapies would be a future step in the precision medicine of HNSCC treatment.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.51-60
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• 2005

목적 : 분자 표적의 선택적 억제가 방사선 세포 살상 효과를 증진시키는 것으로 알려져 있으므로 선택적 COX-2 억제제와 EGF 수용체 차단제를 HeLa 세포주에 처리한 후 방사선 효과의 상승작용을 알아보고자 하였다. 대상 및 방법 : 자궁경부암 세포주인 HeLa세포에서 EGF 수용체 차단제 AG 1478, 선택적 COX-2 억제제 NS 398과 방사선을 복합 투여하여 세포성장 억제 분석(cell graph inhibition assay)과 세포사멸 분석(apoptosis assay)을 시행하였고, 방사선 감수성 변화를 살펴보기 위해 세포생존 분석(clonogenic survival assay)을 시행하였다. 방사선 감수성 인자로는 2 Gy에서의 세포생존분획($SF_2$)과 linear-quadratic model을 이용한 dose enhancement ratio (DER)를 사용하였다. 방사선 감수성에 대한 작용기전 분석을 위해 flow cytometry로 세포주기 분석(cell cycle analysls)을 시행하였고, western blot 분석을 통하여 bcl-2와 bax 단백질의 발현 변화를 살펴보았다. 결과 : HeLa세포에 NS 398과 AG 1478을 방사선과 함께 복합 투여한 실험 군에서 세포사멸 정도가 가장 높게 나타났다($8.49\%$ vs. $22.70\%$). 세포주기 분석 결과, 방사선과 복합 약물 처리군에서 $G_0/G_l$ 세포주기 정체와 5 세포 분획 소실이 나타났으며 이러한 변화는 72시간 이후까지 지속되었다 세포생존 분석 결과로는 방사선과 AG 1478군에서 $SF_{2}0.68{\pm}0.07$, DER 1.12를 보인 반면, 방사선과 복합약물처리군에서는 $SF_{2}0.12{\pm}0.01,\;DER\;3.00$으로 나타났다. Western blot분석에서는 방사선과 복합약물처리군에서 bcl-2와 bax 단백질 발현이 모두 감소하는 양상을 보였다. 결론 : 신호전달 체계를 억제하는 분자 표적 약제인 선택적 COX-2 억제제와 EGF 수용체 차단제를 방사선과 복합투여함으로써 HeLa세포의 방사선 감수성이 증가됨을 확인하였다.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제55권5호
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• pp.491-503
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• 2017

The effects of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) were evaluated on growth inhibition of intracellular Toxoplasma gondii in host ARPE-19 cells. The number of tachyzoites per parasitophorous vacuolar membrane (PVM) was counted after treatment with TKIs. T. gondii protein expression was assessed by western blot. Immunofluorescence assay was performed using Programmed Cell Death 4 (PDCD4) and T. gondii GRA3 antibodies. The TKIs were divided into 3 groups; non-epidermal growth factor receptor (non-EGFR), anti-human EGFR 2 (anti-HER2), and anti-HER2/4 TKIs, respectively. Group I TKIs (nintedanib, AZD9291, and sunitinib) were unable to inhibit proliferation without destroying host cells. Group II TKIs (lapatinib, gefitinib, erlotinib, and AG1478) inhibited proliferation up to 98% equivalent to control pyrimethamine ($5{\mu}M$) at $20{\mu}M$ and higher, without affecting host cells. Group III TKIs (neratinib, dacomitinib, afatinib, and pelitinib) inhibited proliferation up to 98% equivalent to pyrimethamine at $1-5{\mu}M$, but host cells were destroyed at $10-20{\mu}M$. In Group I, TgHSP90 and SAG1 inhibitions were weak, and GRA3 expression was moderately inhibited. In Group II, TgHSP90 and SAG1 expressions seemed to be slightly enhanced, while GRA3 showed none to mild inhibition; however, AG1478 inhibited all proteins moderately. Protein expression was blocked in Group III, comparable to pyrimethamine. PDCD4 and GRA3 were well localized inside the nuclei in Group I, mildly disrupted in Group II, and were completely disrupted in Group III. This study suggests the possibility of a vital T. gondii TK having potential HER2/4 properties, thus anti-HER2/4 TKIs may inhibit intracellular parasite proliferation with minimal adverse effects on host cells.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.31-44
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• 2011

Background: The optimal timing of treatment with EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI) in NSCLC patients has not yet been determined. Methods: We separated 228 patients with advanced /metastatic NSCLC treated with gefitinib into an early gefitinib group (patients who received gefitinib as first- or second-line treatment) and a delayed gefitinib group (patients who received gefitinib as third or fourth-line treatment) and attempted to determine whether the timing of gefitinib treatment affected clinical outcomes. Results: Median overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS), and median OS from first-line treatment of advanced/metastatic disease (OSt) for 111 patients in the early gefitinib group were 6.2 months, 3.3 months, and 11.6 months. However, median OS, PFS, and OSt for 84 patients in the delayed gefitinib group were 7.8 months, 2.3 months, and 22.7 months. No differences in OS and PFS were observed between the 2 groups. However, OSt was significantly longer in the delayed gefitnib group. Timing of gefitinib therapy was one of the independent predictors of OSt. Hb ${\geq}$ 10 g/dl, and having never smoked, and ECOG performance status ${\leq}1$ were independent predictors of better PFS. Conclusion：Deferral of gefitinib therapy in patientswith advanced ormetastatic NSCLC may be preferable if they are able to tolerate chemotherapy.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.424-430
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• 2007

The biological effects of low-dose radiation have been investigated and debated for more than a century, but its cellular effects and regulatory mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study shows the human cellular responses to low-dose radiation in CCD-18 Lu cells, which are derived from normal human lung fibroblasts. We examined a colony-forming assay for cell survival by ionizing radiation. Live cell counting and cell cycle analysis were measured for cell proliferation and cell cycle progression following low-dose irradiation. We examined Raf and Akt phosphorylation to determine the proliferation mechanism resulting from low-dose radiation. We also observed that p53 and p21 were related to cell cycle response. We found that 0.05 Gy of ionizing radiation enhanced cell proliferation and did not change the progression of the cell cycle. In addition, 0.05 Gy of ionizing radiation transiently activated Raf and Akt, but did not change phospho-p53, p53 and p21 in CCD-18 Lu cells. However, 2 Gy of ionizing radiation induced cell cycle arrest, phosphorylation of p53, and expression of p53 and p21. The phosphorylation of Raf and Akt proteins induced by 0.05 Gy of ionizing radiation was abolished by pre-treatment with an EGFR inhibitor, AG1478, or a PI3k inhibitor, LY294002. Cell proliferation stimulated by 0.05 Gy of ionizing radiation was blocked by the suppression of Raf and Akt phosphorylation with these inhibitors. These results suggest that 0.05 Gy of ionizing radiation stimulates cell proliferation through the transient activation of Raf and Akt in CCD-18 Lu cells.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.29-40
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• 2020

Purpose: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) frequently harbor activating gene mutations in either KIT or platelet-derived growth factor receptor A (PDGFRA) and are highly responsive to several selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In this study, a targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay with an Oncomine Focus Assay (OFA) panel was used for the genetic characterization of molecular targets in 30 Korean patients with GIST. Materials and Methods: Using the OFA that enables rapid and simultaneous detection of hotspots, single nucleotide variants (SNVs), insertion and deletions (Indels), copy number variants (CNVs), and gene fusions across 52 genes relevant to solid tumors, targeted NGS was performed using genomic DNA extracted from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples of 30 GISTs. Results: Forty-three hotspot/other likely pathogenic variants (33 SNVs, 8 Indels, and 2 amplifications) in 16 genes were identified in 26 of the 30 GISTs. KIT variants were most frequent (44%, 19/43), followed by 6 variants in PIK3CA, 3 in PDGFRA, 2 each in JAK1 and EGFR, and 1 each in AKT1, ALK, CCND1, CTNNB1, FGFR3, FGFR4, GNA11, GNAQ, JAK3, MET, and SMO. Based on the mutation types, majority of the variants carried missense mutations (60%, 26/43), followed by 8 frameshifts, 6 nonsense, 1 stop-loss, and 2 amplifications. Conclusions: Our study confirmed the advantage of using targeted NGS with a cancer gene panel to efficiently identify mutations associated with GISTs. These findings may provide a molecular genetic basis for developing new drugs targeting these gene mutations for GIST therapy.

• BMB Reports
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• 제34권6호
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• pp.537-543
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• 2001

In the present study, an in vitro ELISA system to assess the interaction between Src homology (SH)2 domains and phosphotyrosine that contain peptides was established using purified GST-conjugated SH2 proteins and synthetic biotinylated phosphotyrosine that contain oligopeptides. The SH2 domains bound the relevant phosphopeptides that were immobilized in the streptavidin-coated microtiter plate in a highly specific and dose-dependent manner. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-, T antigen (T Ag)-, and platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)-derived phosphopeptides interacted with the growth factor receptor binding protein (Grb)2/SH2, Lck/SH2, and phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase (PI3K) p85/SH2, respectively. No cross-reactions were observed. Competitive inhibition experiments showed that a short phosphopeptide of only four amino acids was long enough to determine the binding specificity. Optimal concentrations of the GST-SH2 fusion protein and phosphopeptide in this new ELISA system for screening the binding blockers were chosen at 2nM and 500nM, respectively. When two candidate compounds were tested in our ELISA system, they specifically inhibited the Lck/SH2 and/or p85/SH2 binding to the relevant phosphopeptides. Our results indicate that this ELISA system could be used as an easy screening method for the discovery of specific binding blockers of protein-protein interactions via SH2 domains.

• Annals of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.204-209
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• 2018

Purpose: Growth hormone transduction defect (GHTD) is characterized by severe short stature, impaired STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription-3) phosphorylation and overexpression of the cytokine inducible SH2 containing protein (CIS) and p21/CIP1/WAF1. To investigate the role of p21/CIP1/WAF1 in the negative regulation of the growth hormone (GH)/GH receptor and Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF)/EGF Receptor pathways in GHTD. Methods: Fibroblast cultures were developed from gingival biopsies of 1 GHTD patient and 1 control. The protein expression and the cellular localization of p21/CIP1/WAF1 was studied by Western immunoblotting and immunofluorescence, respectively: at the basal state and after induction with $200-{\mu}g/L$ human GH (hGH) (GH200), either with or without siRNA CIS (siCIS); at the basal state and after inductions with $200-{\mu}g/L$ hGH (GH200), $1,000-{\mu}g/L$ hGH (GH1000) or 50-ng/mL EGF. Results: After GH200/siCIS, the protein expression and nuclear localization of p21 were reduced in the patient. After successful induction of GH signaling (control, GH200; patient, GH1000), the protein expression and nuclear localization of p21 were reduced. After induction with EGF, p21 translocated to the cytoplasm in the control, whereas in the GHTD patient it remained located in the nucleus. Conclusion: In the GHTD fibroblasts, when CIS is reduced, either after siCIS or after a higher dose of hGH (GH1000), p21's antiproliferative effect (nuclear localization) is also reduced and GH signaling is activated. There also appears to be a positive relationship between the 2 inhibitors of GH signaling, CIS and p21. Finally, in GHTD, p21 seems to participate in the regulation of both the GH and EGF/EGFR pathways, depending upon its cellular location.

• BMB Reports
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• 제55권2호
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• pp.98-103
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• 2022

Increased mRNA levels of cancer upregulated gene (CUG)2 have been detected in many different tumor tissues using Affymetrix microarray. Oncogenic capability of the CUG2 gene has been further reported. However, the mechanism by which CUG2 overexpression promotes cancer stem cell (CSC)-like phenotypes remains unknown. With recent studies showing that pyruvate kinase muscle 2 (PKM2) is overexpressed in clinical tissues from gastric, lung, and cervical cancer patients, we hypothesized that PKM2 might play an important role in CSC-like phenotypes caused by CUG2 overexpression. The present study revealed that PKM2 protein levels and translocation of PKM2 into the nucleus were enhanced in CUG2-overexpressing lung carcinoma A549 and immortalized bronchial BEAS-2B cells than in control cells. Expression levels of c-Myc, CyclinD1, and PKM2 were increased in CUG2-overexpressing cells than in control cells. Furthermore, EGFR and ERK inhibitors as well as suppression of Yap1 and NEK2 expression reduced PKM2 protein levels. Interestingly, knockdown of β-catenin expression failed to reduce PKM2 protein levels. Furthermore, reduction of PKM2 expression with its siRNA hindered CSC-like phenotypes such as faster wound healing, aggressive transwell migration, and increased size/number of sphere formation. The introduction of mutant S37A PKM2-green fluorescence protein (GFP) into cells without ability to move to the nucleus did not confer CSC-like phenotypes, whereas forced expression of wild-type PKM2 promoted such phenotypes. Overall, CUG2-induced increase in the expression of nuclear PKM2 contributes to CSC-like phenotypes by upregulating c-Myc and CyclinD1 as a co-activator.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제58권6호
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• pp.590-599
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• 2005

연구배경 : 만성폐쇄성폐질환에서 나타나는 기도점액의 과다분비는 이 질환의 중요한 병리학적 소견이며 호흡곤란 등 환자의 증상을 악화시키는 요인 중의 하나이다. 기도 점액을 구성하는 여러 성분 중 Muc 유전자에 의해 만들어지는 당 단백이 흡연에 의해 생성이 증가하는데 이에 관여하는 세포 내 신호전달 과정에 대하여 확실히 밝혀진 바가 없다. 저자는 Muc 유전자 중 인체의 기도에 가장 많이 분비되는 Muc5ac 점액 생성을 담당하는 Muc5ac 유전자의 발현이 흡연에 의하여 증가하는데 관여하는 세포 내 신호전달 과정을 알아보고자 하였다. 재료 및 방법 : 사람 폐선암 세포주인 A549 세포를 배양하여 Muc5ac 유전자의 promotor를 luciferase reporter plasmid를 사용하여 세포 내에 transfection시키고 5% 담배연기 추출물로 자극하여 배양하였다. 또 세포 내 신호전달에 관여하는 표피성장인자 수용체 kinase의 억제제인 AG1478, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase(MAPKK) 억제제인 PD98059, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase 억제제인 SB203580으로 각각 전 처치 후 역시 5% 담배연기 추출물로 자극 배양하였다. 배양된 세포에서 단백질을 추출하여 luciferase 분석을 통하여 Muc5ac promoter 활성도를 측정하고 Western blot을 이용하여 표피성장인자 수용체와 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)인 extracellular signalrelated kinase (ERK)1/2, p38 MAPK, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)의 발현을 확인하였다. 또 세포에서 RNA를 추출한 후 Muc5ac primer를 이용하여 역전사효소 중합연쇄반응을 수행하여 Muc5ac mRNA 발현을 관찰하였다. 결 과 : 1. Muc5ac promoter를 삽입한 A549 세포를 5% 담배연기 추출물로 자극하였을 때 의의 있게 luciferase 활성도가 증가하였고(P<0.001) 자극하는 시간이 3시간이었을 때 luciferase 활성도가 최고치를 보였다(P<0.01). 또 담배연기 추출물 자극은 표피성장인자 수용체를 인산화시켰으며 인산화는 AG1478과 PD98059에 의하여 억제되었다. 2. AG1478 혹은 PD98059로 전 처치 후 5% 담배연기 추출물로 자극한 경우 5% 담배연기 추출물 단독으로 자극한 것에 비하여 유의하게 lucifearse 활성도가 억제되었고 (P<0.01) 세 가지 종류의 MAPK 중 ERK1/2와 p38 MAPK의 인산화는 관찰되었으나 JNK의 인산화는 관찰되지 않았다. 역전사효소 중합연쇄반응을 이용하여 관찰한 Muc5ac mRNA 발현은 담배연기 추출물에 의해 증가되었고 PD98059와 AG1478에 의하여 역시 억제되었다. 3. 담배연기 추출물에 의하여 인산화 된 ERK1/2는 PD98059에 의하여 인산화가 감소하였고 p38 MAPK의 인산화는 PD98059와 SB203580에 의하여 감소하였으며 이 두 가지 억제제는 모두 luciferase 활성도를 유의하게 억제시켰다(P<0.0001). 결 론 : 담배연기 추출물은 Muc5ac 유전자의 발현을 증가시켜 기도 내 점액 분비를 증가시키며 이는 표피성장인자 수용체를 매개로 ERK1/2와 p38 MAPK를 경유하여 세포 내 신호전달이 이루어진다고 생각된다. 따라서 점액 유전자 활성화를 매개하는 신호전달 과정을 차단하는 약제나 방법이 개발된다면 과도한 점액분비를 치료할 수 있을 것으로 생각한다.