• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권11호
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• pp.6935-6940
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• 2013

Background: This study aimed to develop a prognostic model in patients with early-stage cervical squamous cell carcinoma based on clinicopathological features, including invasive margin characteristics. Materials and Methods: Clinicopathological features and outcomes of 190 patients with FIGO stage IB-IIA cervical squamous cell carcinoma treated by surgery were collected and analyzed for factors associated with tumor recurrence. In addition to well-recognized pathological risk factors, the pathological characteristics of invasive margin (type of invasive pattern and degree of stromal desmoplasia and peritumoral inflammatory reaction) were also included in the analysis. Multiple scoring models were made by matching different clinicopathological variables and/or different weighting of the score for each variable. The model with the best performance in the prediction of recurrence and decreased survival was selected. Results: The model with the best performance was composed of a combined score of invasive pattern, lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), and degree of inflammatory reaction and stromal desmoplasia (total score =10). Compared to those with score ${\leq}8$, the patients with score 9-10 had a significantly higher recurrence rate in the overall group (p<0.001) and the subgroup without adjuvant therapy (p<0.001), while the significance was marginal in the subgroup with adjuvant therapy (p=0.069). In addition, the patients with score 9-10 had a higher rate of tumor recurrence at distant sites (p=0.007). The disease-free survival was significantly lower in the patients with score 9-10 than those with score ${\leq}8$ among the overall patients (p<0.001), in the subgroup without adjuvant therapy (p<0.001), and the subgroup with adjuvant therapy (p=0.047). Conclusions: In this study, a prognostic model based on a combination of pathological characteristics of invasive margin and LVSI proved to be predictive of tumor recurrence and decreased disease-free survival in patients with early-stage cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.229-246
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• 1997

Implantation is a most important biological process during pregnancy whereby conceptus establishes its survival as well as maintenance of pregnancy. During the periimplantation period, both uterine endometriurn and conceptus synthesize and secrete a host of growth factors and cytokines which mediate the actions of estrogen and /or progesterone and also exert their steroid-independent actions. Growth factors expressed by the materno-conceptal unit en masse have important roles in cell migration, stimulation or inhibition of cell proliferation, cellular differentiation, maintenance of pregnancy and materno-conceptal communications in an autorcrine /paracrine manner. The present review focuses on the role of the intrauterine IGF system during periimplantation conceptus development. The IGF system comprises of IGF- I and IGF- II ligands, types I and II IGF receptors and six or more IGF-binding proteins(IGFBPs). IGFs and IGFBPs are expressed and secreted by uterine endometrium with tissue, pregnancy stage and species specificities under the influence of estrogen, progesterone and other growth factor(s). Conceptus also synthesizes components of the IGF system beginning from a period between 2-cell and blastocyst stages. Maternal IGFs are utilized by both maternal and conceptal tissues; conceptus-derived growth factors are believed to be taken up primarily by conceptus. IGFs enhance the development of both maternal and conceptal compartments in a wide range of biological processes. They stimulate proliferation and differentiation of endometrial cells and placental precursor cells including decidual transformation from stromal cells, placental formation and the synthesis of some steroid and protein hormones by differentiated endometrial cells or placenta. It is also well-documented in a number of experimental settings that both IGFs stimulate preimplantation embryo development. In slight contrast to these, prenatal mice carrying a null mutation of IGF and /or IGF receptor gene do not exhibit any apparent growth retardation until after implantation. Reason (s) for this discrepancy between the knock-out result and the in vitro ones, however, is not known. IGFBPs, in general, are believed to inhibit IGF action within the materno-conceptal unit, thereby allowing endometrial stromal cell differentiation as well as dampening ex cessive placental invasion into maternal tissue. There is evidence, however, indicating that IGFBP can enhance IGF action depending on environrnental conditions perhaps by directioning IGF ligand to the target cell. There is also a third possibility that certain IGFBPs and their proteolytic fragments may have their own biological activities independent of the IGF. In addition to IGFBPs, IGFBP proteases including those found within the uterine tissue or lumen are thought to enhance IGF bioavailability by degrading their substrates without affecting their bound ligand. In this regard, preliminary results in early pregnant pigs suggest that a partially characterized IGFBP protease activity in uterine luminal fluid enhances intrauterine IGF bioavailability during conceptus morphological development. In summary, a number of in vitro results indicate that IGFs stimulates the development of the rnaterno-conceptal unit during the periimplantation period. IGFBPs appear to inhibit IGF action by sequestering their ligands, whereas IGFBP proteases are thought to enhance intrauterine bioavailability of IGFs. Much is remaining to be clarified, however, regarding the roles of the individual IGF system components. These include in vivo evidence for the role of IGFs in early conceptus development, identification of IGF-regulated genes and their functions, specific roles for individual IGFBPs, identification and characterization of IGFBP proteases. The intrauterine IGF club house thus will be paying a lot of attention to forthcoming results in above and other areas, with its door wide-open!

• 생명과학회지
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• 제32권6호
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• pp.468-475
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• 2022

줄기세포와 전구세포 사이의 기능 분석은 여러 조직 특히 혈액에서 잘 확립되어 있다. 특히 조혈줄기세포는 골수 니쉬에서 자가재생능 및 재구성능을 가지고 있으며, 골수 내 기질세포는 조직 기능 조절에 큰 영향을 미친다. 최근 연구에서는 포유동물 줄기세포의 기능은 니쉬 세포 내에서 실험적으로 처음 증명되었고, 특히 미세환경에 의해 종양발생이 가능하다는 증거를 나타내고 있다. 고대에서부터 뼈와 피의 관계는 생체 내 필수불가결인 관계로 진화 과정을 거쳐 포유류의 줄기세포에 대해 최초로 제안되었고, 실험적으로 증명된 니쉬세포를 포함한 미세환경과의 복잡한 상호 관계를 규명하였다. 여러 골수 기질세포는 조혈줄기세포의 기능 조절을 하며, 일부의 기능장애는 골수 이형성 및 백혈병을 유발할 수 있다. 현재까지 여러 기질세포에 대한 맵핑이 되지 않아 현재 많은 연구자들이 단일 분자 수준에서 개개의 기질세포 유형을 파악하는 데이터가 필요하다고 주장하고 있으며 이를 바탕으로 골수 내 조혈줄기세포의 특정 기능을 파악할 수 있다고 볼 수 있다. 따라서 본 총설을 통해 조혈줄기세포 및 미세환경에 대한 이전 연구들의 흥미로운 문제를 논의하고, 조혈줄기세포와 골수 니쉬에 대한 현재 및 새로운 개념을 요약하고자 한다.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제33권8호
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• pp.612-622
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• 2023

생체 면역조직에서는 면역세포의 성장, 분화에 있어서 매우 중요한 역할을 수행하는 면역조직 기질세포가 존재하며, 이들은 서로 연결된 3차원적인 그물구조를 형성하면서 그 사이의 공간에 위치한 면역세포와의 상호작용을 통해 다양한 면역반응을 수행한다. 따라서 생체환경을 모사한 면역세포의 배양이 이루어지기 위해서는 면역세포들이 상호작용할 수 있는 3차원적 면역조직 기질세포 뼈대의 구축이 매우 중요한 의의를 지닌다. 특히 면역반응에서 핵심적인 기능을 수행하는 T세포의 생존, 성장 및 분화에 있어서 필수적인 역할을 하는 흉선상피세포에 대한 3차원적 배양은 T세포의 연구에 필수적으로 요구되지만, 아직 이에 관한 연구가 거의 이루어지지 않은 실정이다. 본 연구에서 흉선상피세포는 폴리도파민으로 코팅된 PCL 및 PCL/PLGA 지지체에서 비코팅군에 비해 부착 및 성장이 촉진되었다. 또한 폴리도파민으로 코팅된 지지체에서 흉선상피세포를 배양하였을 때 2차원 배양군에 비해 흉선세포형성촉진인자의 유전자 발현이 더 증가하였다. 따라서 본 연구는 면역조직 기질세포의 3차원 배양 기술의 개발에 크게 기여할 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제45권2호
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• pp.75-81
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• 2018

Objective: Recapitulation of the spermatogenesis process in vitro is a tool for studying the biology of germ cells, and may lead to promising therapeutic strategies in the future. In this study, we attempted to transdifferentiate Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) into male germ cells using all-trans retinoic acid and Sertoli cell-conditioned medium. Methods: Human WJ-MSCs were propagated by the explant culture method, and cells at the second passage were induced with differentiation medium containing all-trans retinoic acid for 2 weeks. Putative germ cells were cultured with Sertoli cell-conditioned medium at $36^{\circ}C$ for 3 more weeks. Results: The gene expression profile was consistent with the stage-specific development of germ cells. The expression of Oct4 and Plzf (early germ cell markers) was diminished, while Stra8 (a premeiotic marker), Scp3 (a meiotic marker), and Acr and Prm1 (postmeiotic markers) were upregulated during the induction period. In morphological studies, approximately 5% of the cells were secondary spermatocytes that had completed two stages of acrosome formation (the Golgi phase and the cap phase). A few spermatid-like cells that had undergone the initial stage of tail formation were also noted. Conclusion: Human WJ-MSCs can be transdifferentiated into more advanced stages of germ cells by a simple two-step induction protocol using retinoic acid and Sertoli cell-conditioned medium.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제45권9호
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• pp.610-619
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• 2022

Cellular senescence plays a paradoxical role in tumorigenesis through the expression of diverse senescence-associated (SA) secretory phenotypes (SASPs). The heterogeneity of SA gene expression in cancer cells not only promotes cancer stemness but also protects these cells from chemotherapy. Despite the potential correlation between cancer and SA biomarkers, many transcriptional changes across distinct cell populations remain largely unknown. During the past decade, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technologies have emerged as powerful experimental and analytical tools to dissect such diverse senescence-derived transcriptional changes. Here, we review the recent sequencing efforts that successfully characterized scRNA-seq data obtained from diverse cancer cells and elucidated the role of senescent cells in tumor malignancy. We further highlight the functional implications of SA genes expressed specifically in cancer and stromal cell populations in the tumor microenvironment. Translational research leveraging scRNA-seq profiling of SA genes will facilitate the identification of novel expression patterns underlying cancer susceptibility, providing new therapeutic opportunities in the era of precision medicine.

• 대한이식학회지
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.121-134
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• 2014

Current immunosuppressants have nonspecific immuosuppressive effects, and are not helpful for tolerance induction. Consequently, transplant patients cannot discontinue using them, and their nonspecific immunosuppressive effects result in many side effects, including infection and malignancy. However, most of cellular immunotherapy can have donor antigen-specific immunsuppressive effects. Therefore, cell therapy could be an alternative or adjunctive to nonspecific immunosuppressants. Polyclonal or antigen-specific Foxp3+ regulatory T cells have been actively tried for prevention of acute rejection, treatment of chronic rejection, or tolerance induction in clinical trials. Regulatory macrophages are also under clinical trials for kidney transplant patients. IL-10-secreting type 1 regulatory T cells and donor- or recipient-derived tolerogenic dendritic cells will also be used for immunoregulation in clinical trials of kidney transplantation. These cells have antigen-specific immunoregulatory effects. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have good proliferative capacity and immunosuppressive actions independently of major histocompatibility complex; therefore, even third-party MSCs can be stored and used for many patients. Cell therapy using various immunoregulatory cells is now promising for not only reducing side effects of nonspecific immunosuppressants but also induction of immune tolerance, and is expected to contribute to better outcomes in transplant patients.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.249-255
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• 2015

Diabetes mellitus, the most common metabolic disorder, is divided into two types: type 1 and type 2. The essential treatment of type 1 diabetes, caused by immune-mediated destruction of ${\beta}-cells$, is transplantation of the pancreas; however, this treatment is limited by issues such as the lack of donors for islet transplantation and immune rejection. As an alternative approach, stem cell therapy has been used as a new tool. The present study revealed that bone marrowderived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) could be transdifferentiated into pancreatic cells by the insertion of a key gene for embryonic development of the pancreas, the pancreatic and duodenal homeobox factor 1 (PDX1). To avoid immune rejection associated with xenotransplantation and to develop a new cell-based treatment, BM-MSCs from ${\alpha}$-1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout (GalT KO) pigs were used as the source of the cells. Transfection of the EGFP-hPDX1 gene into GalT KO pig-derived BM-MSCs was performed by electroporation. Cells were evaluated for hPDX1 expression by immunofluorescence and RT-PCR. Transdifferentiation into pancreatic cells was confirmed by morphological transformation, immunofluorescence, and endogenous pPDX1 gene expression. At 3~4 weeks after transduction, cell morphology changed from spindle-like shape to round shape, similar to that observed in cuboidal epithelium expressing EGFP. Results of RT-PCR confirmed the expression of both exogenous hPDX1 and endogenous pPDX1. Therefore, GalT KO pig-derived BM-MSCs transdifferentiated into pancreatic cells by transfection of hPDX1. The present results are indicative of the therapeutic potential of PDX1-expressing GalT KO pig-derived BM-MSCs in ${\beta}-cell$ replacement. This potential needs to be explored further by using in vivo studies to confirm these findings.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.4-9
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• 2018

Cancer metabolism as a field of research was founded almost 100 years ago by Otto Warburg, who described the propensity for cancers to convert glucose to lactate despite the presence of oxygen, which in yeast diminishes glycolytic metabolism known as the Pasteur effect. In the past 20 years, the resurgence of interest in cancer metabolism provided significant insights into processes involved in maintenance metabolism of non-proliferating cells and proliferative metabolism, which is regulated by proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressors in normal proliferating cells. In cancer cells, depending on the driving oncogenic event, metabolism is re-wired for nutrient import, redox homeostasis, protein quality control, and biosynthesis to support cell growth and division. In general, resting cells rely on oxidative metabolism, while proliferating cells rewire metabolism toward glycolysis, which favors many biosynthetic pathways for proliferation. Oncogenes such as MYC, BRAF, KRAS, and PI3K have been documented to rewire metabolism in favor of proliferation. These cell intrinsic mechanisms, however, are insufficient to drive tumorigenesis because immune surveillance continuously seeks to destroy neo-antigenic tumor cells. In this regard, evasion of cancer cells from immunity involves checkpoints that blunt cytotoxic T cells, which are also attenuated by the metabolic tumor microenvironment, which is rich in immuno-modulating metabolites such as lactate, 2-hydroxyglutarate, kynurenine, and the proton (low pH). As such, a full understanding of tumor metabolism requires an appreciation of the convergence of cancer cell intrinsic metabolism and that of the tumor microenvironment including stromal and immune cells.

• Applied Microscopy
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• 제44권3호
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• pp.88-95
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• 2014

This study examined the effects of quercetin on corneal opacity caused by corneal edema by suppressing the damage on corneal endothelial cell, which was induced by mitomycin-C (MMC). In the MMC-treated group, the number of keratocytes was noticeably fewer compared to that of other groups. Although this group showed normal amount of fiber in the corneal stroma, the thickness was shown to be very thick and the alignment of the corneal endothelial cells that worked as the barrier against aqueous humor was irregular. According to such results, it was known that corneal opacity induced by MMC is not caused by proliferation of keratocytes, but by corneal edema triggered by the infiltration of aqueous humor. In the MMC+quercetin and quercetin+MMC-treated groups, the number of keratocytes was higher and polymorphonuclear leukocytes infilteration was lower significantly compared to that of the MMC-treated group. Although the amounts of fiber and endothelioid cell arrangement were normal, there was more space observed in the corneal stroma. Nonetheless, these groups showed significantly lower stromal thickness compared to that of the MMC group. In conclusion, quercetin has the effect on the reduction of corneal opacity caused by corneal edema that work MMC-induced damage to the corneal endothelial cells.