• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 2014

Increasing data shows miR-29a is a key regulator of oncogenic processes. It is significantly down-regulated in some kind of human tumors and possibly functionally linked to cellular proliferation, survival and migration. However, the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we report miR-29a is significantly under-expressed in gastric cancer compared to the healthy donor. The microvessel density is negatively related to miR-29a expression in gastric cancer tissues. The ectopic expression of miR-29a significantly inhibits proliferation and invasion of gastric cancer cells. Furthermore, western blot combined with the luciferase reporter assays demonstrate that vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) is direct target of miR-29a. This is the first time miR-29a was found to suppress the tumor microvessel density in gastric cancer by targeting VEGF-A. Taken together, these results suggest that miR-29a is a tumor suppressor in gastric cancer. Restoration of miR-29a in gastric cancer may be a promising therapeutic approach.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.229-239
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• 2009

Molecular imaging strives to visualize processes in living subjects at the molecular level. Monitoring biochemical processes at this level will allow us to directly track biological processes and signaling events that lead to pathophysiological abnormalities, and help make personalized medicine a reality by allowing evaluation of therapeutic efficacies on an individual basis. Although most molecular imaging techniques emerged from the field of oncology, they have now gradually gained acceptance by the cardiovascular community. Hence, the availability of dedicated high-resolution small animal imaging systems and specific targeting imaging probes is now enhancing our understanding of cardiovascular diseases and expediting the development of newer therapies. Examples include imaging approaches to evaluate and track the progress of recent genetic and cellular therapies for treatment of myocardial ischemia. Other areas include in vivo monitoring of such key molecular processes as angiogenesis and apoptosis, Cardiovascular molecular imaging is already an important research tool in preclinical experiments. The challenge that lies ahead is to implement these techniques into the clinics so that they may help fulfill the promise of molecular therapies and personalized medicine, as well as to resolve disappointments and controversies surrounding the field.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1995.10a
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• pp.9-15
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• 1995

When quiescent cells ate stimulated to enter the cell cycle, the thymidine kinase(TK) gene is transcriptionally activated at the border of Gl and 5. In this report we show that the human TK promoter contains multiple protein-binding sites. By site-directed mutagenesis, we identified a protein-binding site on the human TK promoter requited for conferring Gl-S-regulated transcription to a heterologous promoter and dissociated it functionally from an adjacent protein-binding domain containing an inverted CCAAT motif requited for high basal level expression. Substitution-mutation of this site results in constitutive expression of the neo reporter gene in serum-stimulated fibroblasts, as well as in cells arrested in mid-Gl by a temperature-sensitive mutation. The regulatory domains for the human TK promoter exhibit interesting symmetrical features, including a set of CCAAT motifs and sites similar to the novel Yi protein-binding site recently discovered in the mouse TK promoter. Thus, components of the hTK complex is important for hTK gene regulation.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.279-292
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• 2006

Recent progress in the development of non-invasive imaging technologies continues to strengthen the role of biomedical research. These tools have been validated recently in variety of research models, and have born shown to provide continuous quantitative monitoring of the location(s), magnitude, and time-variation of gene delivery and/or expression. This article reviews the use of PET technologies as they have been used in imaging biological processes for molecular imaging applications. The studies published to date demonstrate that noninvasive imaging tools will help to accelerate pre-clinical model validation as well as allow for clinical monitoring of human diseases.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.267-270
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• 2008

We have successfully used the low-pressure BioWare gene gun, developed for gene transfer in animal cells, for plant tissues. The BioWare device is easy to manipulate. Just 50 psi helium pressure was sufficient to transfer foreign genes into the aleurone layer and embryo of maize without causing tissue damage in the impact area. As shown by expression signals from invasive histochemical ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ (GUS) activity, the foreign reporter gene expressed well in bombarded tissues. This successful GUS-transient expression extends the application of this low-pressure gene gun from animal cells to plant tissues.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.468-477
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• 2009

Purpose: Hydrodynamic-based procedure is a simple and effective gene delivery method to lead a high gene expression in liver tissue. Non-invasive imaging reporter gene system has been used widely with herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk) and its various substrates. In the present study, we investigated to image the expression of HSV1-tk gene with 5-(2-iodovinyD-2'-deoxyuridine (IVDU) in mouse liver by the hydrodynamicbased procedure. Materials and Methods: HSV1-tk or enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) encoded plasmid DNA was transferred into the mouse liver by hydrodynaminc injection. At 24 h post-injection, RT-PCR, biodistribution, fluorescence imaging, nuclear imaging and digital wholebody autoradiography (DWBA) were performed to confirm transferred gene expression. Results: In RT-PCR assay using mRNA from the mouse liver, specific bands of HSV1-tk and EGFP gene were observed in HSV1-tk and EGFP expressing plasmid injected mouse, respectively. Higher uptake of radiolabeled IVDU was exhibited in liver of HSV1-tk gene transferred mouse by biodistribution study. In fluorescence imaging, the liver showed specific fluorescence signal in EGFP gene transferred mouse. Gamma-camera image and DWBA results showed that radiolabeled IVDU was accumulated in the liver of HSV1-tk gene transferred mouse. Conclusion: In this study, hydrodynamic-based procedure was effective in liver-specific gene delivery and it could be quantified with molecular imaging methods. Therefore, co-expression of HSV1-tk reporter gene and target gene by hydrodynamic-based procedure is expected to be a useful method for the evaluation of the target gene expression level with radiolabeled IVDU.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.198-206
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• 2018

Aortic dissection (AD) is a catastrophic disease with high mortality and morbidity, characterized with fragmentation of elastin and loss of smooth muscle cells. Although AD has been largely attributable to polymorphisms defect in the elastin-coding gene, tropoelastin (TE), other undermined factors also appear to play roles in AD onset. Here, we investigated the effects of post-transcriptional control of TE by microRNAs (miRNAs) on elastin levels in aortic smooth muscle cells (ASMC). We found that miR-144-3p is a miRNA that targets TE mRNA in both human and mouse. Bioinformatics analyses and dual luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-144-3p inhibited protein translation of TE, through binding to the 3'-UTR of the TE mRNA. Interestingly, higher miR-144-3p levels and lower TE were detected in the ASMC obtained from AD patients, compared to those from non-AD controls. In a mouse model for human AD, infusion of adeno-associated viruses (serotype 6) carrying antisense for miR-144-3p (asmiR-144-3p) under CAG promoter significantly reduced the incidence and severity of AD, seemingly through enhancement of TE levels in ASMC. Thus, our data suggest an essential role of miR-144-3p on the pathogenesis of AD.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.303-307
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• 2006

Effect of Oenanthe javanica ethanol extract (OJE) on nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$)-mediated inflammatory reaction in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells was investigated. The OJE dose-dependently inhibited secretions of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) and prostaglandins $E_2\;(PGE_2)$ from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and blocked LPS-induced expression of cyclooxygenase-2. To clarify mechanistic basis for its inhibitions of NF-${\kappa}B$ and activator protein-1 (AP-1) activations, effects of OJE on activations of NF-${\kappa}B$ and AP-1 genes by luciferase reporter activity were examined. The LPS-stimulated activations of NF-${\kappa}B$ and AP-1 were significantly blocked by 400 and $600\;{\mu$}g/mL of OJE, implicating that OJE might regulate gene expression through more than one signaling pathway. Cytosolic degradation of I-${\kappa}B{\alpha}$ was inhibited by OJE dose-dependently, indicating that the nuclear translocation of p65 was inhibited by OJE. These findings suggest that the inhibition of LPS-stimulated COX-2 expression by OJE is due to its inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ activation by blocking I-${\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation, which may be mechanistic basis of anti-inflammatory effects of OJE.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6557-6562
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• 2013

Objective: Specific promoters could improve efficiency and ensure the safety of gene therapy. The aim of our study was to screen examples for lung cancer. Methods: The firefly luciferase gene was used as a reporter, and promoters based on serum markers of lung cancer were cloned. The activity and specificity of seven promoters, comprising CEACAM5 (carcinoembryonic antigen, CEA), GRP (Gastrin-Releasing Peptide), KRT19 (cytokeratin 19, KRT), SFTPB (surfactant protein B, SP-B), SERPINB3 (Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen, SCCA), SELP (Selectin P, Granule Membrane Protein 140kDa, Antigen CD62, GMP) and DKK1 (Dickkopf-1) promoters were compared in lung cancer cells to obtain cancer-specific examples with strong activity. Results: The CEACAM5, DKK1, GRP, SELP, KRT19, SERPINB3 and SFTPB promoters were cloned. Furthermore, we successfully constructed recombinant vector pGL-CEACAM5 (DKK1, GRP, SELP, KRT19, SERPINB3 and SFTPB) contained the target gene. After cells were transfectedwith recombinant plasmids, we found that the order of promoter activity from high to low was SERPINB3, DKK1, SFTPB, KRT19, CEACAM5, SELP and GRP and the order for promoters regarding specificity and high potential were SERPINB3, DKK1, SELP, SFTPB, CEACAM5, KRT19 and GRP. Conclusion: The approach adopted is feasible to screen for new tumour specific promoters with biomarkers. In addition, the screened lung-specific promoters might have potential for use in lung cancer targeted gene therapy research.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.963-968
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• 2013

Objective: To study the effect of the antagomiR-27a inhibitor on glioblastoma cells. Methods: The miR-27a expression level in specimens of human glioblastoma and normal human brain tissues excised during decompression for traumatic brain injury was assessed using qRT-PCR; The predicted target gene of miR-27a was screened out through bioinformatics databases, and the predicted gene was verified using genetic report assays; the effect of antagomiR-27a on the invasion and proliferation of glioma cells was analyzed using MTT assays and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) labeling. A xenograft glioblastoma model in BALB-c nude mice was established to detect the effect of antagomiR-27a on tumour growth. Results: qRT-PCR results showed that miR-27a significantly increased in specimens from glioblastoma comparing with normal human brain tissues. Th miR-27a inhibitor significantly suppressed invasion and proliferation of glioblastoma cells. FOXO3a was verified as a new target of miR-27a by Western blotting and reporter analyzes. Tumor growth in vivo was suppressed by administration of the miR-27a inhibitor. Conclusion: MiR-27a may be up-regulated in human glioblastoma, and antagomiR-27a could inhibit the proliferation and invasion ability of glioblastoma cells.