• Molecules and Cells
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2005

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells have unique features including unlimited growth capacity, expression of specific markers, normal karyotypes and an ability to differentiate. Many investigators have tried to use hES cells for cell-based therapy, but there is little information about the properties of available hES cell lines. We compared the characteristics of three hES cell lines. The expression of SSEA-1, -3, -4, and APase, was examined by immunocytochemistry, and Oct-4 expression was analyzed by RT-PCR. Differentiation of the hES cells in vitro and in vivo led to the formation of embryoid bodies (EBs) or teratomas. We examined the expression of tissue-specific markers in the differentiated cells by semiquantitative RT-PCR, and the ability of each hES cell line to proliferate was measured by flow cytometry of DNA content and ELISA. The three hES cell lines were similar in morphology, marker expression, and teratoma formation. However there were significant differences (P < 0.05) between the differentiated cells formed by the different cell lines in levels of expression of tissue-specific markers such as renin, kallikrein, Glut-2, ${\beta}-$ and ${\delta}-globin$, albumin, and ${\alpha}1-antitrypsin$ (${\alpha}1-AT$). The hES cell lines also differed in proliferative activity. Our observations should be useful in basic and clinical hES cell research.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.459-466
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• 2021

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its complications are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. Because of the side effects and incomplete recovery from current therapy, stem cell therapy emerges as a potential therapy for CVD treatment, and endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) is one of the key stem cells used for therapeutic applications. The effect of this therapy required the expansion of EPC function. To enhance the EPC activation, proliferation, and angiogenesis using dronedarone hydrochloride (DH) is the purpose of this study. DH received approval for atrial fibrillation treatment and its cardiovascular protective effects were already reported. In this study, DH significantly increased EPC proliferation, tube formation, migration, and maintained EPCs surface marker expression. In addition, DH treatment up-regulated the phosphorylation of AKT and reduced the reactive oxygen species production. In summary, the cell priming by DH considerably improved the functional activity of EPCs, and the use of which might be a novel strategy for CVD treatment.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.185-207
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• 2012

Since the Hwang scandal, the South Korean state has expressed often-conflicting interests of encouraging stem cell research and the IVF industry to save the country and introducing the ethical regulation in conformity with "Global Standard." As the tightening ethical regulation of stem cell research has enervated the field of human Embryonic stem cell(hESC) research, somatic stem cells (re-)emerged as an alternative savior that could rescue the future of research communities, bio-industry, practicing doctors, patients and the nation itself from the crisis. The recent literature on Korean biotechnology, however, mainly focus on hESC and relatively little attention has been given to the rapidly growing field of research on somatic stem cells like hematopoietic stem cells(HSCs) or Adipose derived stem cells(ASCs). While the hESC therapy is often regarded as experimental and ethically controversial, the HSCs or Mesenchymal stem cell(MSC) therapies have already made their ways into people's everyday life through market without much public discussion. Many ordinary people in South Korea are familiar with the story of patients who survived leukemia with the HSCs treatment; the number of doctors who are actively marketing the ASCs therapies is on the rapid increase; the concept of cosmetic products made from ASCs is gaining popularity among consumers. In this context, this article argues that the current ethical debates solely focusing on hESC or on the state policy and research regulation are too limiting to fully illuminate the politics of stem cell technologies in South Korea.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.719-730
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to investigate how engineering design-based STEM research experience affects gifted students' creative engineering problem-solving propensity and attitude toward engineering. The students' creative engineering problem-solving propensity and attitude toward engineering were measured before and after the STEM research experience. The pre-/post-tests results were analyzed by paired t-test with the significance level of p <.05. The conclusions of the study are as follows: First, the engineering design based STEM research experience had a positive effect on the students' creative engineering problem-solving propensity. Over all, the average score of the creative engineering problem-solving propensity increased significantly (p <.05) after the STEM research experience. Second, the average score of gifted-students' attitude toward engineering had increased significantly after the integrated STEM research activities (p <.05). In addition, we analyzed the difference between pre-post results of both instruments based on the gifted students' desired career paths (natural science and engineering) and gender. The result shows that the students' career paths or gender did not affect the results in most of the sub-categories in both instruments. However, the STEM research experience had more positive effect on the female students than male students in term of their 'engineering design ability', which is one of the sub-categories of the creative engineering problem-solving propensity instrument.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1997 no.11
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• pp.484-488
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• 1997

Three-dimensional finite element analyses were used to compare the stress distribution and the stability of the fixation among seven different tibial components and to investigate the effect due to implant materials in total knee arthroplasty. The components included an intact tibia(Type I), Cemented Cobalt-Chromium tibial tray implanted with a PMMA cemented Co-Cr stem(Type II), Cemented Co-Cr tibial tray with a uncemented Co-Cr stem(Type III), Cemented Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) tibial tray with a cemented UHMWPE stem (Type IV), Cemented UHMWPE tray with a uncemented UHMWPE stem(Type V), Cemented Co-Cr tray without a stem(Type VI), and Cemented UHMWPE tray without a stem(Type VII). Uncemented components were assumed to have complete bony in growth and a rigid state of fixation between component and bone. The interface between bone/cement/component of cemented components was also assumed to be fully bonded. Bi-condylar forces were applied. The results indicated that Uncemented stem components provided lower bone stress shielding and stress concentration. The UHMWPE tray and stem component showed better agreement with the intact tibia than the Co-Cr Alloy tray and stem components. If the implant tray can be fixed firmed without a stem, Cemented PE tray without a stem(Type VII) may be recommended to give the best characteristics in the sense of stress distribution and stability.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.497-502
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• 2014

Microfluidics can provide unique experimental tools to visualize the development of neural structures within a microscale device, which is followed by guidance of neurite growth in the axonal isolation compartment. We utilized microfluidics technology to monitor the differentiation and migration of neural cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). We co-cultured hESCs with PA6 stromal cells, and isolated neural rosette-like structures, which subsequently formed neurospheres in suspension culture. Tuj1-positive neural cells, but not nestin-positive neural precursor cells (NPCs), were able to enter the microfluidics grooves (microchannels), suggesting that neural cell-migratory capacity was dependent upon neuronal differentiation stage. We also showed that bundles of axons formed and extended into the microchannels. Taken together, these results demonstrated that microfluidics technology can provide useful tools to study neurite outgrowth and axon guidance of neural cells, which are derived from human embryonic stem cells.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.60-65
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• 2017

This study was conducted to dentify the optimum plantlet type of 'Solara' potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) for growth in an aeroponics system. Plantlets of 'Solara' were transplanted on March 16, 2015 in a greenhouse, and growth and yield characteristics were investigated at 70 and 78 days after transplanting, respectively. Stem length was shorter in plantlet of 15-day-old stem cuttings and acclimatization of culture, and the stem length of plantlets of stem cuttings tended to increase with increasing stem cutting age. The fresh weight of plants was the highest in the plantlets of 40-day-old stem cuttings and the lowest in non-rooted stem cuttings and acclimatization of culture. The highest number of first stolons was obtained in 35-day-old stem cuttings. The number of second stolons was the highest in plantlets of 35-day-old stem cuttings, acclimatization of culture, and 30- day-old stem cuttings. The total number of tubers was higher in plantlets of 35-day-old stem cuttings and acclimatization of culture, and the number of tubers above 3 g was the highest in plantlets of 35-day-old stem cuttings. The weight of tubers above 3 g was the heaviest in plantlets of 35-day-old stem cuttings(1,947 g per 10 plants), followed by plantlets of 30-day-old stem cuttings. These results indicate that plantlets of 30 to 35-day-old stem cuttings could be the best for production of 'Solara' potato tubers in an aeroponics system.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.8
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• pp.439-444
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• 2014

Inhibition of an increase of osteoclasts has become the most important treatment for osteoporosis. The CXCR4 antagonist, AMD3100, plays an important role in the mobilization of osteoclast precursors within bone marrow (BM). However, the actual therapeutic impact of AMD3100 in osteoporosis has not yet been ascertained. Here we demonstrate the therapeutic effect of AMD3100 in the treatment of ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis in mice. We found that treatment with AMD3100 resulted in direct induction of release of SDF-1 from BM to blood and mobilization of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) in an osteoporosis model. AMD3100 prevented bone density loss after ovariectomy by mobilization of HSPCs, suggesting a therapeutic strategy to reduce the number of osteoclasts on bone surfaces. These findings support the hypothesis that treatment with AMD3100 can result in efficient mobilization of HSPCs into blood through direct blockade of the SDF-1/CXCR4 interaction in BM and can be considered as a potential new therapeutic intervention for osteoporosis.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.217-223
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• 2017

Background: In Korea, 6-year-old ginseng root is economically more important than 4 or 5-year-old roots. In general, the root age is determined by counting the number of stem vestiges. However, this method does not accurately estimate ginseng root age. Methods and Results: In this study, the stem vestige counting method was used to survey a total of 18,395 fresh ginsengs cultured in 2014, and 2015, to determine the accuracy of this method. The proportion of 6-year-old roots, with more than four stem vestiges, was 46.1% in 2014. For the cultivar Chunpoong cultivated in Eumseong and Goesan countries in 2015, the proportion of more than four stem vestiges was 55.9%, and 43.5%, respectively. The proportion of more than four stem vestiges for the Gumpoong cultivated in Eumseong and Yangpyeong countries was 67.0%, and 35.1%, respectively, whereas that for the cultivar Yunpoong was 36.0% and 61.0%, respectively. Moreover, it was confirmed that differences in the levels of Rg1 will enable root age determination. Conclusions: Root age determination by the stem vestige test was found to differ depending on the environmental and cultivation conditions. To determine the age of ginseng roots, a comprehensive method, such as counting stem vestiges and evaluating differences in ginsenoside levels, should be applied.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.582-590
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• 2018

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and outgrowth endothelial cells (OECs) play a pivotal role in vascular regeneration in ischemic tissues; however, their therapeutic application in clinical settings is limited due to the low quality and quantity of patient-derived circulating EPCs. To solve this problem, we evaluated whether three priming small molecules (tauroursodeoxycholic acid, fucoidan, and oleuropein) could enhance the angiogenic potential of EPCs. Such enhancement would promote the cellular bioactivities and help to develop functionally improved EPC therapeutics for ischemic diseases by accelerating the priming effect of the defined physiological molecules. We found that preconditioning of each of the three small molecules significantly induced the differentiation potential of $CD34^+$ stem cells into EPC lineage cells. Notably, long-term priming of OECs with the three chemical cocktail (OEC-3C) increased the proliferation potential of EPCs via ERK activation. The migration, invasion, and tube-forming capacities were also significantly enhanced in OEC-3Cs compared with unprimed OECs. Further, the cell survival ratio was dramatically increased in OEC-3Cs against $H_2O_2$-induced oxidative stress via the augmented expression of Bcl-2, a pro-survival protein. In conclusion, we identified three small molecules for enhancing the bioactivities of ex vivo-expanded OECs for vascular repair. Long-term 3C priming might be a promising methodology for EPC-based therapy against ischemic diseases.