• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.66.2-66.2
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• 2015

There is the urgent need of new human health care's technology against cancers or tumors based on plasma electronics, medicine and biology. Main target of our study is to enhance efficacy and selectivity of plasma on cancer cells with metabolic modifiers and by inducing immune-modulations. We have evaluated the combination effect of plasma with metabolic modifiers (2-DG) on various solid and liquid cancers. Our findings suggest that 2-DG enhances the efficacy and selectivity of plasma and induces apoptosis in blood cancer cells through glucose deprivation. Finally, we conclude that 2-DG with non-thermal plasma may be used as a combination treatment against cancer cells. Our work also comprises plasma induced activation of immune cells; which find applications for curing various kinds of resistant tumors and other dreadful diseases. Plasma significantly activates immune cells which increases cell death in solid tumors in co-culture conditions.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2009

The mammalian immune system comprises a complex array of cells and molecules that interact to provide protection from pathogenic microorganisms. The beneficial role played by lactic acid bacteria and milk-derived peptides in humans, including their effect on the immune system, has been extensively reported. Lactic acid bacteria and milk-derived peptides, which are present in dairy products, are frequently used as nutraceuticals to improve some biological functions in the host. Activation of the systemic and secretory immune response by lactic acid bacteria and milk-derived peptides requires many complex interactions among the various constituents of the intestinal ecosystem. Thus, the aim of this review was to examine in detail the immunological potential of lactic acid bacteria and milk-derived peptides.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.371-375
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• 2023

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells and play important roles as the first immune cells to recognize and kill cancer. In patients with advanced and terminal cancer, NK cells are often inactivated, suggesting that NK cells may play important roles in cancer treatment. In particular, the proportion of NK cells among immune cells infiltrating tumor tissues is often low, which suggests that NK cells do not survive in tumor microenvironment (TME). In order to overcome these hurdles of NK cells in cancer treatment, it is critical to develop strategies that enhance the proliferation and cytolytic activity of NK cells. We applied Vemurafenib to NK cells and measured the degree of NK cell proliferation and functional activation. We obtained unexpected results of increased NK cell numbers and anti-tumor activity after Vemurafenib treatment. Although further investigation is required to uncover the detailed mechanisms, our results suggest that Vemurafenib is a promising candidate to increase the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy using NK cells.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.45-60
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• 2006

Objectives : This study was guided to estimate inhibitory effects against hepatic metastasis and activation of immunocytes by Carthami Semen Herbal Acupuncture. Methods : Colon26-L5 carcinoma cells were injected through hepatic portal vein to induce hepatic metastatic cancer. Changes in weight, morphology of the cancer were estimated and cytokine level was analyzed to produce immunological changes. Results: The experimental group was significantly decreased metastatic size and proliferation compared with the control group. Observing immunocytes from the spleen of experimental group T-lymphocytes were significantly increased. As compared with control group, the differentiation of total T cell, helper T cell, cytotoxic T cell, Macrophage and NK cell was increased. Measuring the level of cytokine $IFN-{\gamma}$ which stimulates Th 1 was significantly increased in splenocyte with Con A stimuli. $IFN-{\gamma}$ and IL-12 were significantly increased in peritoneal exudate macrophage with LPS stimuli. Conclusion : These findings strongly indicate Carthami Semen Herbal Acupuncture improves immunity to inhibit the growth of cancer and metastasis.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.7
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• pp.369-370
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• 2015

Actin dynamics is critical for the formation and sustainment of the immunological synapse (IS) during T cell interaction with antigen-presenting cells (APC). Thus, many actin regulating proteins are involved in spatial and temporal actin remodeling at the IS. However, little is known whether or how actin stabilizing protein controls IS and the consequent T cell functions. TAGLN2 − an actin-binding protein predominantly expressed in T cells − displays a novel function to stabilize cortical F-actin, thereby augmenting F-actin contents at the IS, and acquiring leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 activation following T cell activation. TAGLN2 also competes with cofilin to protect F-actin in vitro and in vivo. During cytotoxic T cell interaction with cancer cells, the expression level of TAGLN2 at the IS correlates with the T cell adhesion to target cancer cells and production of lytic granules such as granzyme B and perforin, thus expressing cytotoxic T cell function. These findings identify a novel function for TAGLN2 as an actin stabilizing protein that is essential for stable immunological synapse formation, thereby regulating T cell immunity. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(7): 369-370]

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.142-152
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• 2023

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) mediates the cellular antioxidant response, allowing adaptation and survival under conditions of oxidative, electrophilic and inflammatory stress, and has a role in metabolism, inflammation and immunity. Activation of Nrf2 provides broad and long-lasting cytoprotection, and is often hijacked by cancer cells, allowing their survival under unfavorable conditions. Moreover, Nrf2 activation in established human tumors is associated with resistance to chemo-, radio-, and immunotherapies. In addition to cancer cells, Nrf2 activation can also occur in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and facilitate an anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Several cancer cell-derived metabolites, such as itaconate, L-kynurenine, lactic acid and hyaluronic acid, play an important role in modulating the TIME and tumor-TAMs crosstalk, and have been shown to activate Nrf2. The effects of Nrf2 in TIME are context-depended, and involve multiple mechanisms, including suppression of proinflammatory cytokines, increased expression of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and kynureninase, accelerated catabolism of cytotoxic labile heme, and facilitating the metabolic adaptation of TAMs. This understanding presents both challenges and opportunities for strategic targeting of Nrf2 in cancer.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.65-77
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• 2023

In this study, we investigated the immunological properties of six strains of Acetobacter pasteurianus through nuclear factor-kappa B/activator protein-1 (NF-κB/AP-1) transcription factor activation and nitric oxide (NO) and cytokine production in macrophages. We found that the six A. pasteurianus strains had no significant inhibitory effect on the cell viability of RAW-Blue^TM cells at the concentration of (25, 50, 100 CFU/macrophage). The production of NO and cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) showed different abilities of immune activation for each strain, and it was 0.7 to 0.9 times higher than that of the LPS (100 ng/mL, v/v) positive control and 7 to 8 times superior to that of the negative control group. To explore the underlying mechanism, we evaluated the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory genes. Consequently, we found that inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression including genes expression of cytokines were elevated by the six A. pasteurianus treatment. These results suggested that the six strains of A. pasteurianus have an excellent industrial application value as a functional material for the purpose of enhancing immune function.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nutrition Society Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.175-175
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• 2004

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.38-38
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• 2004

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.377-384
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• 2007

Objective : Immune potentiation including activation of T cells, B cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells is known to play a key role in prevention and treatment of patients with cancer. In this study, we investigated the effects of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus (AR) on the immune system, especially on thymocytes, splenocytes, and macrophages. Methods : We investigated the effects of AR on proliferation of splenocytes in normal mice, and the effects on proliferation of splenocytes and thymocytes in tumor-bearing mice. In addition, the effect of AR on NO production using macrophages was investigated. Results : Treatment with AR accelerated proliferation of splenocytes in vitro. AR also accelerated thymocyte proliferation, but did not affect splenocytes proliferation in normal mice. In contrast, AR accelerated proliferation of splenocytes and thymocytes significantly in tumor bearing mice. In addition, NO production level from macrophages was elevated by treatment with AR. Conclusion : These results demonstrate that AR has anti-cancer activities and related mechanisms are involved in immune potentiation such as acceleration of immune cell proliferation and elevation of NO production level in macrophages. In addition, we also demonstrate the possibilities of AR as complementary and alternative medicine to standard anti-cancer drugs.