• 보건행정학회지
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.314-325
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• 2013

Background: Stem cell research competition is accelerating globally since President Obama signed an executive order, repealing Bush-era policy that limited use of federal tax dollars for embryonic stem cell research. Methods: In this paper, we conducted a comparative analysis of stem cell research policy changes in three countries, including the Human Fertilisation Embryology Act (HFEA) of UK, executive order 13,505 (removing barriers to responsible scientific research involving human stem cells) of USA, and Bioethics and Safety Act of South Korea. Debates on stem cell research are based on conflicts of fundamental beliefs that exist in the supporting and opposing coalitions. We compared regional characteristics of the advocacy coalitions in three countries and presented various factors that might be related to the policy changes. Results: The UK government, parliament, and the HFEA have sought expert consultations and public opinions to establish guidelines. UK has made social consensus through continued discussion for a long time. US President's veto power was one strongest factors influencing policy. South Korean policy was influenced by public opinion and policy brokers. Also, South Korea has not made social consensus. UK had a strong leadership and strong adjustment of coalitions but US and South Korea had not. Dr. Hwang's scandal has had one of the greatest impacts on policy decision in South Korea. Conclusion: The power of public opinion was critical in all three countries. In particular, the influence of public opinion was noticeable in South Korea. Also it turned out that in US and South Korea, the presence of a policy broker who could pursue his or her goals was the most powerful factor among the advocacy coalition factors.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.261-271
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• 2004

Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the possibility of prolonged culture of human embryonic stem cells (hESC; SNUhES2) on human amniotic fluid cells (hAFC), which had been storaged after karyotyping. Method: The hAFC was prepared for feeder layer in the presence of Chang's medium and STO medium (90% DMEM, 10% FBS) at $37^{circ}C$ in a 5% $CO_2$ in air atmosphere. Prior to use as a feeder layer, hAFC was mitotically inactivated by mitomycin C. The hESCs on hAFC were passaged mechanically every seven days with ES culture medium (80% DMEM/F12, 20% SR, bFGF). Results: The hAFC feeder layer support the growth of undifferentiated state of SNUhES2 for at least 59 passages thus far. SNUhES2 colonies on hAFC feeder appeared slightly angular and flatter shape as compared with circular and thicker colonies observed with STO feeder layer and showed higher level with complete undifferentiation in seven days. Like hESC cultured on STO feeders, SNUhES2 grown on hAFC expressed normal karyotype, positive for alkaline phosphatase activity, high telomerase activity, Oct-4, SSEA-3, SSEA-4, Tra-1-60 and Tra-1-81 and formed embryoid bodies (EBs). Conclusion: The hAFC supports undifferentiated growth of hESC. Therefore, these results may help to provide a clinically practicable method for expansion of hESC for cell therapies.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제45권12호
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• pp.923-934
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• 2022

Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) have great potential in applications such as regenerative medicine, cardiac disease modeling, and in vitro drug evaluation. However, hPSC-CMs are immature, which limits their applications. During development, the maturation of CMs is accompanied by a decline in their proliferative capacity. This phenomenon suggests that regulating the cell cycle may facilitate the maturation of hPSC-CMs. Aurora kinases are essential kinases that regulate the cell cycle, the role of which is not well studied in hPSC-CM maturation. Here, we demonstrate that CYC116, an inhibitor of Aurora kinases, significantly promotes the maturation of CMs derived from both human embryonic stem cells (H1 and H9) and iPSCs (induced PSCs) (UC013), resulting in increased expression of genes related to cardiomyocyte function, better organization of the sarcomere, increased sarcomere length, increased number of mitochondria, and enhanced physiological function of the cells. In addition, a number of other Aurora kinase inhibitors have also been found to promote the maturation of hPSC-CMs. Our data suggest that blocking aurora kinase activity and regulating cell cycle progression may promote the maturation of hPSC-CMs.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한불임학회 2006년도 The 5th Biannual Meeting of Pacific Rim Society for Fertility and Sterility
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• pp.163.2-163.2
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• 2006

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제63권2호
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• pp.153-162
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• 2020

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most devastating conditions and many SCI patients suffer neurological sequelae. Stem cell therapies are expected to be beneficial for many patients with central nervous system injuries, including SCI. Adult stem cells (ASCs) are not associated with the risks which embryonic stem cells have such as malignant transformation, or ethical problems, and can be obtained relatively easily. Consequently, many researchers are currently studying the effects of ASCs in clinical trials. The environment of transplanted cells applied in the injured spinal cord differs between the phases of SCI; therefore, many researchers have investigated these phases to determine the optimal time window for stem cell therapy in animals. In addition, the results of clinical trials should be evaluated according to the phase in which stem cells are transplanted. In general, the subacute phase is considered to be optimal for stem cell transplantation. Among various candidates of transplantable ASCs, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are most widely studied due to their clinical safety. MSCs are also less immunogenic than neural stem/progenitor cells and consequently immunosuppressants are rarely required. Attempts have been made to enhance the effects of stem cells using scaffolds, trophic factors, cytokines, and other drugs in animal and/or human clinical studies. Over the past decade, several clinical trials have suggested that transplantation of MSCs into the injured spinal cord elicits therapeutic effects on SCI and is safe; however, the clinical effects are limited at present. Therefore, new therapeutic agents, such as genetically enhanced stem cells which effectively secrete neurotrophic factors or cytokines, must be developed based on the safety of pure MSCs.

• BMB Reports
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• 제49권4호
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• pp.197-198
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• 2016

Although three different research groups have reported successful derivations of human somatic cell nuclear transfer-derived embryonic stem cell (SCNT-ESC) lines using fetal, neonatal and adult fibroblasts, the extremely poor development of cloned embryos has hindered its potential applications in regenerative medicine. Recently, however, our group discovered that the severe methylation of lysine 9 in Histone H3 in a human somatic cell genome was a major SCNT reprogramming barrier, and the overexpression of KDM4A, a H3K9me3 demethylase, significantly improved the blastocyst formation of SCNT embryos. In particular, by applying this new approach, we were able to produce multiple SCNT-ES cell lines using oocytes obtained from donors whose eggs previously failed to develop to the blastocyst stage. Moreover, the success rate was closer to 25%, which is comparable to that of IVF embryos, so that our new human SCNT method seems to be a practical approach to establishing a pluripotent stem cell bank for the general public as well as for individual patients.

• 과학기술학연구
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.185-207
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• 2012

황우석 사태 이후 한국의 국가는 줄기세포 연구를 장려하고 시험관 아기 산업을 장려하겠다는 입장과 "글로벌 스탠다드"에 부합하는 윤리적 규제를 도입하겠다는, 많은 경우 서로 모순될 수밖에 없는 입장을 표명하여 왔다. 줄기세포 연구에 대한 윤리적 규제가 점점 강화되면서 인간배아세포 연구가 위축되면서, 연구 공동체와 바이오산업, 임상의사와 환자, 그리고 국가 자체를 위기로부터 구원해줄 대안으로 떠오른 것은 체세포 줄기세포였다. 그러나 한국 생명공학기술에 대한 연구들은 주로 배아줄기세포에 초점을 맞추고 있으며, 조혈줄기세포나 지방유래줄기세포와 같은 체세포 줄기세포에 대한 연구에는 상대적으로 관심이 적은 것으로 보인다. 배아줄기세포가 흔히 실험적이고 윤리적으로 논란거리로 여겨지는 반면에, 조혈모 혹은 간엽줄기세포와 체세포 줄기세포는 별다른 공적인 논의 없이 대중들의 일상 속으로 들어와 있다. 한국의 많은 일반인들은 조혈모 줄기세포 치료를 통해 백혈병으로부터 생명을 구한 환자들의 사례에 이미 익숙한가 하면, 다른 한편에서 지방유래줄기세포 치료를 선전하는 의사들의 수가 늘고 있고, 지방유래줄기세포의 개념을 활용하여 만든 화장품이 소비자들의 주목을 받고 있기도 한 현실이 이미 진행되고 있다. 이러한 맥락에서, 본 논문은 배아줄기세포나 국가 정책이나 연구 규제에만 집중되어 시장을 놓치고 있는 윤리적 논의는 한국에서 줄기세포 기술의 정치의 전모를 다루기에 한계가 크다는 사실을 주장하고자 한다.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.221-229
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• 2015

Hesperidin has been shown to possess a potential inhibitory effect on vascular formation in endothelial cells. However, the fundamental mechanism for the anti-angiogenic activity of hesperidin is not fully understood. In the present study, we evaluated whether hesperidin has anti-angiogenic effects in mouse embryonic stem cell (mES)-derived endothelial-like cells, and human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs), and evaluated their mechanism via the AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. The endothelial cells were treated with several doses of hesperidin (12.5, 25, 50, and $100{\mu}M$) for 24 h. Cell viability and vascular formation were analyzed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and tube formation assay, respectively. Alteration of the AKT/mTOR signaling in vascular formation was analyzed by western blot. In addition, a mouse aortic ring assay was used to determine the effect of hesperidin on vascular formation. There were no differences between the viability of mES-derived endothelial-like cells and HUVECs after hesperidin treatment. However, hesperidin significantly inhibited cell migration and tube formation of HUVECs (P<0.05) and suppressed sprouting of microvessels in the mouse aortic ring assay. Moreover, hesperidin suppressed the expression of AKT and mTOR in HUVECs. Taken together, these findings suggest that hesperidin inhibits vascular formation by blocking the AKT/mTOR signaling pathways.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.449-455
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• 2011

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have been generated from mouse and human somatic cells by etopic expression of transcription factors. iPS cells are indistinguishable from ES cells in terms of morphology and stem cell marker expression. Moreover, mouse iPS cells give rise to chimeric mice that are competent for germline transmission. However, mice derived from iPS cells often develop tumors. Furthermore, the low efficiency of iPS cell generation is a big disadvantage for mechanistic studies. Nonviral plasmid.based vectors are free of many of the drawbacks that constrain viral vectors. The histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid (VPA) has been shown to improve the efficiency of mouse and human iPS cell generation, and vitamin C (Vc) accelerates gene expression changes and establishment of the fully reprogrammed state. The MEK inhibitor PD0325901 (Stemgent) has been shown to increase the efficiency of the reprogramming of human primary fibroblasts into iPS cells. In this report, we described the generation of mouse iPS cells devoid of exogenous DNA by the simple transient transfection of a nonviral vector carrying 2A-peptide-linked reprogramming factors. We used VPA, Vc, and the MEK inhibitor PD0325901 to increase the reprogramming efficiency. The reprogrammed somatic cells expressed pluripotency markers and formed EBs.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.19-27
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• 2004

Objective: This study was to examine the in vitro neural cell differentiation patterns of human embryonic stem (hES) cells following treatment of various neurotrophic factors [basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), retinoic acid (RA), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-$\alpha$], particulary in dopaminergic neuron formation. Methods: The hES cells were induced to differentiate by bFGF and RA. Group I) In bFGF induction method, embryoid bodies (EBs, for 4 days) derived from hES were plated onto gelatin dish, selected for 8 days in ITSFn medium and expanded at the presence of bFGF (10 ng/ml) for another 6 days followed by a final differentiation in N2 medium for 7, 14 and 21 days. Group II) For RA induction, EBs were exposed of RA ($10^{-6}M$) for 4 days and allowed to differentiate in N2 medium for 7, 14 and 21 days. Group III) To examine the effects of additional neurotrophic factors, bFGF or RA induced cells were exposed to either BDNF (10 ng/ml) or TGF-$\alpha$ (10 ng/ml) during the 21 days of final differentiation. Neuron differentiation and dopamine secretion were examined by indirect immunocytochemistry and HPLC, respectively. Results: The bFGF or RA treated hES cells were resulted in similar neural cell differentiation patterns at the terminal differentiation stage, specifically, 75% neurons and 11% glial cells. Additionally, treatment of hES cells with BDNF or TGF-$\alpha$ during the terminal differentiation stage led to significantly increased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression of a dopaminergic neuron marker, compared to control (p<0.05). In contrast, no effect was observed on the rate of mature neuron (NF-200) or glutamic acid decarboxylase-positive neurons. Immunocytochemistry and HPLC analyses revealed the higher levels of TH expression (20.3%) and dopamine secretion (265.5 $\pm$ 62.8 pmol/mg) in bFGF and TGF-sequentially treated hES cells than those in $\alpha$ RA or BDNF treated hES cells. Conclusion: These results indicate that the generation of dopamine secretory neurons from in vitro differentiated hES cells can be improved by TGF-$\alpha$ addition in the bFGF induction protocol.