• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1339-1346
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• 2013

Conventional chemotherapeutic regimens often accompany severe side effects and fail to induce complete regression of chemoresistant or relapsing metastatic cancers. The need for establishing more efficacious anticancer strategies led to the development of a combined modality treatment of chemotherapy in conjunction with immunotherapy or radiotherapy. It has been reported that poly-gamma-glutamate (${\gamma}$-PGA), a natural polymer composed of glutamic acids, increases antitumor activity by activating antigen-presenting cells and natural killer (NK) cells. Here, we investigated the antitumor effect of ${\gamma}$-PGA in combination with cyclophosphamide in a murine melanoma model. Whereas cyclophosphamide alone directly triggered apoptosis of tumor cells in vitro, ${\gamma}$-PGA did not show cytotoxicity in tumor cells. Instead, it activated macrophages, as reflected by the upregulation of surface activation markers and the secretion of proinflammatory factors, such as nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}$. When the antitumor effects were examined in a mouse model, combined treatment with cyclophosphamide and ${\gamma}$-PGA markedly suppressed tumor growth and metastasis. Notably, ${\gamma}$-PGA treatment dramatically increased the NK cell population in lung tissues, coinciding with decreased metastasis and increased survival. These data collectively suggest that ${\gamma}$-PGA can act as an immunotherapeutic agent that exhibits a synergistic antitumor effect in combination with conventional chemotherapy.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.78-85
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• 1996

The authors reviewed 95 cases(46 men and 49 women) of the orbital tumors diagnosed histopathologically at the Department of Ophthalmology, Yeungnam University Hospital from March 1984 through August 1994. Seventy-five cases of benign tumors were found evenly in all decades, but twenty cases of malignant tumors were noticed more frequently in 1st, 6th, and 7th decades. The frequency of benign orbital tumors was in this order; dermolipoma(21%, 20 cases), dermoid cyst(11.6%, 11 cases), mucocele(8.4%, 8 cases), lipoma(7.4%, 7 cases) and pleomorphic adenoma(5.3%, 5 cases). Of malignant orbital tumors, the frequency was in this order; retinoblastoma(3 cases), malignant melanoma(2 cases), sebaceous carcinoma(2 cases), and maxillary sinus carcinoma(2 cases). Malignant orbital tumors of 8 expired patients were revealed as secondary or metastatic tumors.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.224-234
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• 2006

We employed human SK-MEL-28 cells as a model system to identify cellular proteins that accompany N-(4-methyl)phenyl-O-(4-methoxy)phenyl-thionocarbamate (MMTC)-induced apoptosis based on a proteomic approach. Cell viability tests revealed that SK-MEL-28 skin cancer cells underwent more cell death than normal HaCaT cells in a dose-dependent manner after treatment with MMTC. Two-dimensional electrophoresis in conjunction with matrixassisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry analysis or computer matching with a protein database further revealed that the MMTC-induced apoptosis is accompanied by increased levels of caspase-1, checkpoint suppressor-1, caspase-4, NF-kB inhibitor, AP-2, c-Jun-N-terminal kinase, melanoma inhibitor, granzyme K, G1/S specific cyclin D3, cystein rich protein, Ras-related protein Rab-37 or Ras-related protein Rab-13, and reduced levels of EMS (oncogene), ATP synthase, tyrosine-phosphatase, Cdc25c, 14-3-3 protein or specific structure of nuclear receptor. The migration suppressing effect of MMTC on SK-MEL-28 cell was tested. MMTC suppressed the metastasis of SK-MEL-8 cells. It was also identified that MMTC had little angiogenic effect because it did not suppress the proliferation of HUVEC cell line. These results suggest that MMTC is a novel chemotherapeutic and metastatic agents against the SK-MEL-28 human melanoma cell line.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.154-162
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• 2006

Background: Dendritic cell (DC)-based cancer immunotherapy is studied for several years. However, it is mainly derived from autologous PBMC or leukapheresis from patient, which has limitations about yield and ability of DC production according to individual status. In order to solve these problems, inquiries about allogeneic DCs are performed but there are no preclinical trial answers for effect or toxicity of allogeneic DC to use for clinical trial. In this study, we compared the anti-tumor effect of allogeneic and autologous DCs from mouse bone marrow stem cells in mouse metastatic melanoma model. Methods: B16F10 melanoma cells ($5{\times}10^4$/mouse) were injected intravenously into the C57BL/6 mouse. Therapeutic DCs were differentiated from autologous (C57BL/6: CDC) or allogeneic (B6C3F1: BDC) bone marrow stem cells with GM-CSF, SCF and IL-4 for 13days and pulsed with B16F10 tumor cell lysate (Blys) for 18hrs. DC intra-peritoneal injections began on the 8th day after the tumor cell injection by twice with one week interval. Results: Anti-tumor response was observed by DC treatment without any toxicity especially in allogeneic DC treated mice (tumor burden score: $2.667{\pm}0.184,\;2.500{\pm}0.463,\;2.000{\pm}0.286,\;1.500{\pm}0.286,\;1.667 {\pm}0.297$ for saline, CDC/unpulsed-DC: U-DC, CDC/Blys-DC, BDC/U-DC and BDC/Blys-DC, respectively). IFN-${\gamma}$ secretion was significantly increased in allogeneic DC group stimulated with B16F10 cell lysate ($2,643.3{\pm}5,89.7,\;8,561.5{\pm}2,204.9.\;6,901.2{\pm}141.1pg/1{\times}10^6$ cells for saline, BDC/U-DC and BDC/Blys-DC, respectively) with increased NK cell activity. Conclusion: Conclusively, promising data was obtained that allogeneic DC can be used for DC-based cancer immunotherapy.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.525-528
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• 2003

Spatholobus Suberectus dunn. has been applied to blood stasis in oriental medicine. We selected one potent ethyl acetate subfraction-2 from Spatholobus Suberectus Dunn.(SSD) from anti-metastasis screening. It exerted the cytotoxicity against HT1080 and B16BL6 with the IC50 of 60 ug/ml and also significantly inhibited tumor cell induced platelet aggregation (TCIPA). It effectively didn't inhibit cell adhesion of HT1080 to matrigel coated wells, while it inhibited the cell invasion of HT1080 at the doses of 10, 20, 40 μg/ml by Boyden chamber assay. It effectively suppressed lung metastasis by B16BL6 melanoma in C57BL6 mice. These results indicate that the EtOAc subfraction-2 of Spatholobus Suberectus Dunn. can be applied to caner treatment with anti-metastatic activity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Pathology Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.97.1-98
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• 2005

• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.7
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• pp.364-369
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• 2013

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) plays an indispensable role in epidermal pigmentation in hyperpigmentary disorders due to a central role in melanogenesis. Nevertheless, precise mechanism involved in ET-1-induced hyperpigmentation is still undefined. Glycoprotein (transmembrane) non-metastatic melanoma protein b (GPNMB) is a key element in melanosome formation. Therefore, we speculated that GPNMB was correlated with ET-1-induced pigmentation. After culturing with ET-1, melanin synthesis was significantly up-regulated, accompanying with increased expression of GPNMB and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF). Total number of melanosomes and melanin synthesis were sharply reduced via GPNMB-siRNA transfection, indicating ET-1-induced pigmentation by GPNMB-dependent manner. Furthermore, MITF-siRNA transfection strikingly inhibited GPNMB expression and the melanogenesis, and this suppression failed to be alleviated by ET-1 stimulation. All of these results demonstrated that ET-1 can trigger melanogenesis via the MITF-regulated GPNMB pathway. Taken together, these findings will provide a new explanation of how ET-1 induces hyperpigmentation, and possibly supply a new strategy for cosmetic studies.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.2.1-2.22
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• 2022

Targeting immune evasion via immune checkpoint pathways has changed the treatment paradigm in cancer. Since CTLA-4 antibody was first approved in 2011 for treatment of metastatic melanoma, eight immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) centered on PD-1 pathway blockade are approved and currently administered to treat 18 different types of cancers. The first part of the review focuses on the history of CTLA-4 and PD-1 discovery and the preclinical experiments that demonstrated the possibility of anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 as anti-cancer therapeutics. The approval process of clinical trials and clinical utility of ICIs are described, specifically focusing on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), in which immunotherapies are most actively applied. Additionally, this review covers the combination therapy and novel ICIs currently under investigation in NSCLC. Although ICIs are now key pivotal cancer therapy option in clinical settings, they show inconsistent therapeutic efficacy and limited responsiveness. Thus, newly proposed action mechanism to overcome the limitations of ICIs in a near future are also discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.214-222
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• 2011

To examine the new practical utilization of mucilages in Opuntia humifusa, polysaccharides were isolated from O. humifusa and their anti-metastatic activity and structural analysis were carried out. In experimental lung metastasis of B16BL6 melanoma cells, prophylactically intravenous (i.v.) administration of the crude polysaccharide (CNC-0) from O. humifusa significantly inhibited lung metastasis in a dose-dependant manner. The main polysaccharide, CNC-Ia was purified to homogeneity from CNC-0 by two successive column chromatographies using DEAE-Sepharose FF and Sephadex G-100 and its structure was characterized. Molecular mass of CNC-Ia was estimated to be 700 kDa and it mainly consisted of arabinose, galactose and xylose in addition to two minor sugars such as rhamnose and fucose. Methylation analysis indicated that CNC-Ia comprised at least 18 different glycosyl linkages such as terminal Araf, 5-linked Araf, 4-linked Galp and terminal Xylp in addition to three characteristic linkages such as full branched Araf, 3,4,6-branched Galp and full branched Galp. To analyze the fine structure of CNC-Ia, it was sequentially digested by exo-${\alpha}$-L-arabinofuranosidase and endo-${\beta}$-1,4-D-galactanase. These analyses suggested that CNC-Ia belongs to be a highly branched Type I arabinogalactan which has a ($1{\rightarrow}4$)-${\beta}$-galactan backbone with arabinosyl oligosaccharide side chains.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.61 no.5
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• pp.592-599
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• 2018

Objective : Metastatic brain tumors (MBTs) often present with intracerebral hemorrhage. Although Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) is a valid treatment option for hemorrhagic MBTs, its efficacy is unclear. To achieve oncologic control and reduce radiation toxicity, we used a radiosurgical targeting technique that confines the tumor core within the hematoma when performing GKS in patients with such tumors. We reviewed our experience in this endeavor, focusing on local tumor control and treatment-associated morbidities. Methods : From 2007 to 2014, 13 patients with hemorrhagic MBTs were treated via GKS using our targeting technique. The median marginal dose prescribed was 23 Gy (range, 20-25). GKS was performed approximately 2 weeks after tumor bleeding to allow the patient's condition to stabilize. Results : The primary sites of the MBTs included the liver (n=7), lung (n=2), kidney (n=1), and stomach (n=1); in two cases, the primary tumor was a melanoma. The mean tumor volume was $4.00cm^3$ (range, 0.74-11.0). The mean overall survival duration after GKS was 12.5 months (range, 3-29), and three patients are still alive at the time of the review. The local tumor control rate was 92% (tumor disappearance 23%, tumor regression 46%, and stable disease 23%). There was one (8%) instance of local recurrence, which occurred 11 months after GKS in the solid portion of the tumor. No GKS-related complications were observed. Conclusion : Our experience shows that GKS performed in conjunction with our targeting technique safely and effectively treats hemorrhagic MBTs. The success of this technique may reflect the presence of scattered metastatic tumor cells in the hematoma that do not proliferate owing to the inadequate microenvironment of the hematoma. We suggest that GKS can be a useful treatment option for patients with hemorrhagic MBTs that are not amenable to surgery.