• BMB Reports
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• 제50권2호
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• pp.91-96
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• 2017

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) provides a cellular defense against oxidative stress by inducing the expression of antioxidant and detoxification enzymes. The calcium antagonist, verapamil, is an FDA-approved drug prescribed for the treatment of hypertension. Here, we show that verapamil acts as a potent Nrf2 activator without causing cytotoxicity, through degradation of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), a Nrf2 repressor. Furthermore, verapamil-induced Keap1 degradation is prominently mediated by a p62-dependent autophagic pathway. Correspondingly, verapamil protects cells from acetaminophen-induced oxidative damage through Nrf2 activation. These results demonstrated the underlying mechanisms for the protective role of verapamil against acetaminophen-induced cytotoxicity.

• 한국컴퓨터정보학회논문지
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.65-71
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• 2016

To reduce the expenses for development a novel drug, systems biology has been studied actively. Target prediction, a part of systems biology, contributes to finding a new purpose for FDA(Food and Drug Administration) approved drugs and development novel drugs. In this paper, we propose a classification model for predicting novel target genes based on relation between target genes and disease related genes. After collecting known target genes from TTD(Therapeutic Target Database) and disease related genes from OMIM(Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man), we analyzed the effect of target genes on disease related genes based on PPI(Protein-Protein Interactions) network. We focused on the distinguishing characteristics between known target genes and random target genes, and used the characteristics as features for building a classifier. Because our model is constructed using information about only a disease and its known targets, the model can be applied to unusual diseases without similar drugs and diseases, while existing models for finding new drug-disease associations are based on drug-drug similarity and disease-disease similarity. We validated accuracy of the model using LOOCV of ten times and the AUCs were 0.74 on Alzheimer's disease and 0.71 on Breast cancer.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제35권12호
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• pp.3571-3575
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• 2014

Proteasome, a multicatalytic protease complex, has been validated as a promising therapeutic target in oncology. Carfilzomib (Kyprolis$^{(R)}$), a tetrapeptide epoxyketone, irreversibly inhibits the chymotrypsin-like (CT-L) activity of the proteasome and has been recently approved for multiple myeloma treatment by FDA. A chemistry effort was initiated to discover the compounds that are reversibly inhibit the proteasome by replacing the epoxyketone moiety of carfilzomib with a variety of ketones as reversible and covalent warheads at the C-terminus. The newly synthesized compounds exhibited significant inhibitory activity against CT-L activity of the human 20S proteasome. When the compounds were tested for cancer cell viability, 14-8 was found to be most potent in inhibiting Molt-4 acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line with a $GI_{50}$ of $4.4{\mu}M$. Cytotoxic effects of 14-8 were further evaluated by cell cycle analysis and Western blotting, demonstrating activation of apoptotic pathways.

• KIEE International Transactions on Electrophysics and Applications
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• 제5C권1호
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• pp.33-38
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• 2005

Recently, lasers have become widely used throughout the medical treatment field. Several types of lasers have been used for the purpose of hair removal since the Alexandrite laser was approved by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) for clinical epilation. In this study, a long-pulsed Alexandrite laser system for hair removal adopting a multi-discharge method in which three flash lamps are turned on consecutively was designed and fabricated. This laser system shows the technology that makes it possible to create extended pulse by turning on three flash lamps consecutively. With this technique, the pulse width can be varied from 4ms∼10ms. Then using this Alexandrite laser system with the pulse width 10ms and the beam size 7mm, hair removal was performed on the back portion of a human hand and leg. This study shows that treatment by the long-pulsed Alexandrite laser produces hair removal with no relevant side effects.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제26권5호
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• pp.458-463
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• 2018

The phosphorylation of JNK is known to induce insulin resistance in insulin target tissues. The inhibition of JNK-JIP1 interaction, which interferes JNK phosphorylation, becomes a potential target for drug development of type 2 diabetes. To discover the inhibitors of JNK-JIP1 interaction, we screened out 30 candidates from 4320 compound library with In Cell Interaction Trap method. The candidates were further confirmed and narrowed down to five compounds using the FRET method in a model cell. Among those five compounds, Acebutolol showed notable inhibition of JNK phosphorylation and elevation of glucose uptake in diabetic models of adipocyte and liver cell. Structural computation showed that the binding affinity of Acebutolol on the JNK-JIP1 interaction site was comparable to the known inhibitor, BI-78D3. Our results suggest that Acebutolol, an FDA-approved beta blocker for hypertension therapy, could have a new repurposed effect on type 2 diabetes elevating glucose uptake process by inhibiting JNK-JIP1 interaction.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.265-275
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• 2018

Cancer is a complex multifaceted illness that affects different patients in discrete ways. For a number of cancers the use of chemotherapy has become standard practice. Chemotherapy is a use of cytostatic drugs to cure cancer. Cytostatic agents not only affect cancer cells but also affect the growth of normal cells; leading to side effects. Because of this, radiotherapy gained importance in treating cancer. Slaughtering of cancerous cells by radiotherapy depends on the radiosensitivity of the tumor cells. Efforts to improve the therapeutic ratio have resulted in the development of compounds that increase the radiosensitivity of tumor cells or protect the normal cells from the effects of radiation. Amifostine is the only chemical radioprotector approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but due to its side effect and toxicity, use of this compound was also failed. Hence the use of herbal radioprotectors bearing pharmacological properties is concentrated due to their low toxicity and efficacy. Notably, in silico methods can expedite drug discovery process, to lessen the compounds with unfavorable pharmacological properties at an early stage of drug development. Hence a detailed perspective of these properties, in accordance with their prediction and measurement, are pivotal for a successful identification of radioprotectors by drug discovery process.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.62-66
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• 2020

Controlled drug release is important for effective treatment of cancer. Poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) acid (PLGA) is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved polymer and have been extensively studied as drug delivery carriers with biodegradable and biocompatible properties. However, PLGA drug delivery carriers are limited due to the initial burst release of drug. Certain drugs require an early rapid release, but in many cases the initial rapid release can be inefficient, reducing therapeutic effects and also increasing side effects. Therefore, sustained release is important for effective treatment. Poly Lactic Acid stereo complex (PLA SC) is resistant to hydrolysis and has high stability in aqueous solutions. Therefore, in this work, PLGA based discoidal polymeric particles are modified by Poly Lactic Acid stereocomplex (PLAsc DPPs). PLAsc DPPs are 3 ㎛ in diameter, also showing a relatively sustained release profile. Fluorescein 5(6)-isothiocyanate (FITC) released from PLAsc DPPs was continuously observed until 38 days, which showed the initial release of FITC from PLAsc DPPs was about 3.9-fold reduced as compared to PLGA based DPPs at 1 hour.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.113-118
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• 2016

An FDA approved drug for the treatment of type II diabetes, Troglitazone (TRO), a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonist, is withdrawn due to severe idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity. In the search for new applications of TRO, we investigated the cellular effects of TRO on YD15 tongue carcinoma cells. TRO suppressed the growth of YD15 cells in the MTT assay. The inhibition of cell growth was accompanied by the induction of cell cycle arrest at $G_0/G_1$ and apoptosis, which are confirmed by flow cytometry and western blotting. TRO also suppressed the expression of cell cycle proteins such as cyclin D1, cdk2, cdk4, cyclin B1, cdk1(or cdc2), cyclin E1 and cyclin A. The inhibition of cell cycle proteins was coincident with the up-regulation of $p21^{CIP1/WAF1}$ and $p27^{KIP1}$. In addition, TRO induces the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-7, as well as the cleavage of PARP. Further, TRO suppressed the expressions of Bcl-2 without affecting the expressions of Bad and Bax. Overall, our data supports that TRO induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis on YD15 cells.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제33권12호
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• pp.3957-3962
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• 2012

Iron-oxide nanoparticles (IONs) with biocompatible coatings are the only nanostructural materials which have been approved by the FDA for clinical use. Common biocompatible coatings such as hydrocarbons, polymers, and silica have profound influences on critical characteristics of IONs. Recently, amino acids were introduced as a novel biocompatible coating. In the present study, the effects of amino acids on IONs synthesis and characteristics have been evaluated. Magnetite nanoparticles with L-arginine and L-lysine coatings were synthesised by a coprecipitation reaction in aqueous solvent and their characteristics were compared with naked magnetite nanoparticles. The results showed that amino acids can be a perfect coating for IONs and would increase particle stability without any significant effects on the critical properties of nanoparticles such as particle size and magnetization saturation value.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제34권5호
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• pp.1425-1428
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• 2013

The proteasome, which is highly evolutionarily conserved, is responsible for the degradation of most short-lived proteins in cells. Small-molecule inhibitors targeting the proteasome's degradative activity have been extensively developed as lead compounds for various human diseases. An exemplified molecule is bortezomib, which was approved by FDA in 2003 for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Here, using transiently and stably expressed N-end rule model substrates in mammalian cells, we evaluated and identified that salinosporamide A and salinosporamide B effectively inhibited the proteasomal degradation. Considering that a variety of proteasome substrates are implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases, they have the potential to be clinically applicable as therapeutic agents.