• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.46-49
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• 1994

When Coprinus congregatus was cultivated in low pH YpSs medium(pH 4.2), the culture supernatant turned brown earlier than that of normal(pH 7.1) medium resulted from the melanization synthesized by the secreted laccase reaction. The pH of medium became 5.2 after 24 h incubation. Laccase which was deeply related to the fungal development might also be implicated in the neutralization of excess hydrogen ions to protect from acidification of cytoplasm.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.216-220
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• 1999

A chemosensitivity assay with small replicate Mm5mt/cl C3H mammary tumor cell cultures was developed to determine whether changes in viral antigen expression and release into culture fluids could be utilized as an in vitro measure of modulating drug effect. The 52,000 MW viral envelope glycoprotein (gp52) of the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) was measured in culture fluids of control and drug-treated cultures while cell density was simultaneously determined by cell staining and OD 664 nm determination. While extra-cellular gp52 levels and cell density progressively increased over 72 hours for control cultures, declines in both parameters provided dual measures of effect for combination [N(phophonacetyl-L-aspartic acid)+5-fluorouracil], combination 〔N(phophonacetyl-L-aspartic acid )+5-fluoro-5'-deoxyuridine〕and single component treatment of this combination. At each treated time point, thesecombinations begin to produce a greater decline in both cell density and gp52 levels as compared to single drug treatments. These results indicate that N(phopho-nacetyl-L-aspartic acid) in combination can enhance the effectiveness of single drug.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.6-9
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• 2019

Adjuvant fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) chemotherapy for 6 months is the standard treatment of stage III colon cancer to improve patient survival. Recent studies have shown that restricting the treatment to 3 months to reduce toxicity negatively affects the outcome. However, the effect of FOLFOX treatment for a duration of between 3 and 6 months(7~11 cycles) on survival is not known. The effect of a reduced duration of FOLFOX chemotherapy on the prognosis of stage III colon cancer was examined. The 5-year disease-free survival in patients receiving 7~11 cycles of FOLFOX was lower than those receiving 12 cycles(72.9% vs. 87%, respectively). Patients receiving 7~11 cycles who had a bowel obstruction at diagnosis had a significantly higher recurrence rate (66.7% vs. 15.0%) and shorter median disease-free survival (24.7 months vs. not reached) than those receiving 12 cycles. Among patients receiving 12 cycles of FOLFOX, there was no difference in the outcome between those with and those without intestinal obstructions at diagnosis. These results suggest that the completion of 12 cycles FOLFOX chemotherapy is important to improve the patient's prognosis, especially for with intestinal obstructions at diagnosis.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.9
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• pp.622-630
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• 2022

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has a high mortality rate among cancers worldwide. To reduce this mortality rate, chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan) or targeted therapy (bevacizumab, cetuximab, and panitumumab) has been used to treat CRC. However, due to various side effects and poor responses to CRC treatment, novel therapeutic targets for drug development are needed. In this study, we identified the overexpression of EHMT1 in CRC using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data derived from TCGA, and we observed that knocking down EHMT1 expression suppressed cell growth by inducing cell apoptosis in CRC cell lines. In Gene Ontology (GO) term analysis using RNA-seq data, apoptosis-related terms were enriched after EHMT1 knockdown. Moreover, we identified the CHOP gene as a direct target of EHMT1 using a ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation) assay with an anti-histone 3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) antibody. Finally, after cotransfection with siEHMT1 and siCHOP, we again confirmed that CHOP-mediated cell apoptosis was induced by EHMT1 knockdown. Our findings reveal that EHMT1 plays a key role in regulating CRC cell apoptosis, suggesting that EHMT1 may be a therapeutic target for the development of cancer inhibitors.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.8
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• pp.451-456
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• 2023

Deubiquitinases (DUBs) are an essential component of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). They trim ubiquitin from substrate proteins, thereby preventing them from degradation, and modulate different cellular processes. Ubiquitin-specific protease 14 (USP14) is a DUB that has mainly been studied for its role in tumorigenesis in several cancers. In the present study, we found that the protein levels of USP14 were remarkably higher in gastric cancer tissues than in the adjacent normal tissues. We also demonstrated that the inhibition of USP14 activity using IU1 (an USP14 inhibitor) or the inhibition of USP14 expression using USP14-specific siRNA markedly reduced the viability of gastric cancer cells and suppressed their migratory and invasive abilities. The reduction in gastric cancer cell proliferation due to the inhibition of USP14 activity was a result of the increase in the degree of apoptosis, as evidenced by the increased expression levels of cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP. Furthermore, an experiment using the USP14 inhibitor IU1 revealed that the inhibition of USP14 activity suppressed 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance in GC cells. Collectively, these findings indicate that USP14 plays critical roles in gastric cancer progression and suggest its potential to serve as a novel therapeutic target for gastric cancer treatment.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.64-68
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• 2018

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a dismal prognosis and 5^th leading cause of cancer related death in Korea. A large proportion of patients are diagnosed at advanced or metastatic stage. Therefore systemic chemotherapy has become the mainstay of treatment for pancreatic cancer. For most patients advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer that has a good Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) 0 or 1, we can recommend for FOLFIRINOX (leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil [5-FU], irinotecan and oxaliplatin) and gemcitabine plus nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel). Currently, steps towards improved therapeutic efficacy of palliative chemotherapy have been made by introducing these regimens. For patients with an ECOG PS of 2, gemcitabine monotherapy or S1 alone is recommended. The second-line therapy for patients initially treated with gemcitabine-based chemotherapy includes provide FOLFOX (leucovorin, 5-FU, and oxaliplatin), capecitabine plus oxaliplatin, and 5-FU plus liposomal irinotecan. The gemcitabine-based chemotherapy is a reasonable choice for patients treated with FOLFIRINOX. Currently, studies on selecting patients for biomarkers related to molecular biologic features of tumors are underway for the realization of precise medicine, and the development and verification of preclinical models for the development of new therapeutic agents are being carried out continuously.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.70-72
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• 2017

A 41-year old woman with dysphagia visited, which was aggravated after eating. On physical examination, there was a palpable mass on the left supraclavicular area. Endoscopic examination revealed a mass on the distal esophagus with irregular mucosa, erythema and a whitish plaque with luminal narrowing. The patient was diagnosed with unresectable esophageal cancer (squamous cell carcinoma, T3N2M1, Stage IV). The patient received CCRT (total 63 Gy) with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). After CCRT, the patient took an additionally 2 cycles of chemotherapy for consolidation (cisplatin and 5-FU every 4 weeks). After additional chemotherapy, endoscopic examination showed no residual tumor, a chest CT scan revealed that the mass in the distal esophagus had decreased and there was no enlargement of the lymph nodes around the left supraclavicular area. The patient has been in complete remission for 5 years.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.39-42
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• 2016

A 67-year-old male was admitted due to abdominal pain. Abdominal CT scan performed in a local clinic showed about 2 cm sized pancreatic tail mass with extensive liver and multiple regional lymph node metastasis. Histology of liver biopsy revealed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. He underwent chemotherapy with gemcitabine and erlotinib for 5 cycles followed by 8 cycles of second line chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin. At 12 months after diagnosis, follow-up abdominal CT scan revealed marked reduction of tumor mass in the liver and pancreas with small residual tumor. After one month of last chemotherapy, he complained radiating pain along left leg. Blood chemistry revealed isolated elevation of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and multiple bone metastasis were demonstrated in bone scan. Palliative radiation therapy to pelvic bone was performed for the relief of bone pain. The prognosis of advanced pancreatic cancer is extremely poor. We report late occurrence of multiple bone metastasis in a patient with well controlled advanced pancreatic cancer with chemotherapy.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.423-425
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• 2023

Porokeratosis ptychotropica is an uncommon form of porokeratosis, which was initially described in 1995. It is clinically characterized by symmetrical reddish to brown-colored hyperkeratotic, verrucous, or psoriasiform plaques on the perianal and gluteal regions. The lesions tend to integrate and expand centrally, with small peripheral satellite lesions. Early skin biopsy and appropriate diagnosis are essential because malignant change occurs in 7.5% of porokeratotic lesions. Conventional treatment options include topical steroid, retinoid, imiquimod, 5-fluorouracil, isotretinoin, excimer laser, photodynamic therapy, intralesional steroid or bleomycin injection, cryotherapy, carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser, and dermatome and excision, but none seem to achieve complete clearance. A 68-year-old woman presented with diffuse hyperkeratotic scaly lichenoid plaques on the buttocks that had persisted for several years. A skin biopsy of the buttocks revealed multiple cornoid lamellae and intense hyperkeratosis. There were some dyskeratotic cells beneath the cornoid lamellae and the granular layer was absent. Porokeratosis ptychotropica was diagnosed based on the characteristic clinical appearance and typical histopathological manifestations. She was treated with a CO₂ laser in one session and topical application of urea and imiquimod cream for 1 month. The lesions slightly improved at the 1-month follow-up. We herein present a rare case of porokeratosis ptychotropica.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.114-119
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• 2023

A 51-year-old male patient had four times of massive hematochezia episode three days before arrival. Carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 level was extremely elevated. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography-computed tomography identified 5.7 cm sized periampullary duodenal cancer with regional metastatic lymph nodes and vascular invasion to aberrant right hepatic artery, main portal vein, and superior mesenteric vein. Diagnosed as duodenal adenocarcinoma through endoscopic biopsy, 16 times of FOLFIRI (5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan) was conducted. The regimen changed to XELOX (capecitabine, oxaliplatine), four times of administration was done, and the CA19-9 level dramatically decreased. The tumor decreased to 2.1 cm. After R0 laparoscopic pylorus preserving pancreatoduodenectomy, no adjuvant therapy was given. No sign of recurrence or metastasis was reported, and the patient reached complete remission after five years. We reported a case where neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced duodenal adenocarcinoma was shown to be effective.