• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.715-723
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• 2023

Microbial biofilms are resilient, immune-evasive, often antibiotic-resistant health challenges, and increasingly the target for research into novel therapeutic strategies. We evaluated the effects of a nutraceutical enzyme and botanical blend (NEBB) on established biofilm. Five microbial strains with known implications in chronic human illnesses were tested: Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus simulans (coagulase-negative, penicillin-resistant), Borrelia burgdorferi, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The strains were allowed to form biofilm in vitro. Biofilm cultures were treated with NEBB containing enzymes targeted at lipids, proteins, and sugars, also containing the mucolytic compound N-acetyl cysteine, along with antimicrobial extracts from cranberry, berberine, rosemary, and peppermint. The post-treatment biofilm mass was evaluated by crystal-violet staining, and metabolic activity was measured using the MTT assay. Average biofilm mass and metabolic activity for NEBB-treated biofilms were compared to the average of untreated control cultures. Treatment of established biofilm with NEBB resulted in biofilm-disruption, involving significant reductions in biofilm mass and metabolic activity for Candida and both Staphylococcus species. For B. burgdorferi, we observed reduced biofilm mass, but the remaining residual biofilm showed a mild increase in metabolic activity, suggesting a shift from metabolically quiescent, treatment-resistant persister forms of B. burgdorferi to a more active form, potentially more recognizable by the host immune system. For P. aeruginosa, low doses of NEBB significantly reduced biofilm mass and metabolic activity while higher doses of NEBB increased biofilm mass and metabolic activity. The results suggest that targeted nutraceutical support may help disrupt biofilm communities, offering new facets for integrative combinational treatment strategies.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.270-277
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• 2024

Objectives: This study identified the effects of Korean medicine treatment on a patient with alcohol-associated cirrhosis. Methods: A 50-year-old male with alcohol-associated cirrhosis was treated with Cheongganhaeju-tang from 10 November 2023 to 18 January 2024 to reduce fatigue, dyspepsia, anorexia, and weight loss and to improve laboratory findings, such as liver enzymes. We observed changes in the patient's symptoms and laboratory findings during a treatment period of approximately 2 months. Results: With Cheongganhaeju-tang treatment, serum levels of liver enzymes remained stable, clinical symptoms improved, and alcohol cravings decreased. Conclusion: This case points to Cheongganhaeju-tang as a therapeutic option to manage alcohol-associated cirrhosis.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.293-303
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any beneficial effects of massage or microwave diathermy regarding delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and indices of muscle damage. Twenty-one adult women, randomly divided in two treatment groups and a control group, performed eccentric stepping exercise with the quadriceps until exhaustion. The treatment groups additionally performed massage or microwave diathermy after the stepping exercise. Pressure pain threshold measure for DOMS and muscle enzymes in the blood were obtained before, and 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours after exercise. The results were as follows; 1. Eccentric exercise caused DOMS and elevations of muscle enzymes in the blood, with peak values exercise levels by 24 hours after exercise and GOT and CRP by 72 hours after exercise. DOMS and CK activity remained elevated 72 hours after exercise. 2. DOMS and blood muscle enzymes response to eccentric exercise were reduces by massage or micro diathermy therapy. DOMS was significantly decreased at 72 hours after exercise by massage and microwave diathermy. CK activity was significantly decreased at 72 hours after exercise by microwave diathermy. There was the significant reduction in LDH at 48 hours, GOT at 24, 48, 72 hours. and CRP at 24, 48 hours after exercise by massage and microwave diathermy. These results indicate that massage or microwave diathermy is had effect on recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage. In our's suggestion. microwave diathermy is particularly more appropriate therapeutic modality because it is more simple and economic than massage.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.50-62
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• 2008

Objectives: This study was aimed to find the effect of Samiunkyungtang on inflammation and microflora in an ulcerative colitis animal model. Methods: We established four groups of normal, control, test 1, and test 2 and assigned 6 rats toeach group. The normal group was not treated by any process and fed by normal saline. The control & test groups were provided with 4% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) treatment for 7 days. Samiunkyungtang extract was orally administered to test groups (test 1=25mg/kg, test 2 100mg/kg) 3 days after DSS treatment for 10 days. After DSS treatment finished, we sacrificed the mice and measured colon length and enzyme activities such as myeloperoxidase (MPO), alkine phosphatase (ALP), ${\beta}$-glucuronidase, ${\beta}$-glucosidase, chondroitinase, and tryptophanase. Results: The colon lengths of test 1 and 2 groups were longer than the control group (p<0.05). Histologically, the crypts and superficial epitheliums of test 1 and 2 groups were regenerated. Goblet cells from all test groups were retrieved. The inflammatory biochemical marker, MPO and ALP activities in all test groups were highly reduced (p<0.01) compared to the control group. The activities of fecal bacterial enzymes in test groups such as ${\beta}$-glucuronidase, ${\beta}$-glucosidase, chondroitinase, and tryptophanase were reduced compared to the control group (p<0.01). Conclusions: As a result of this experiment, Samiunkyungtang is considered to have an inhibitory effect on inflammation and fecal enzyme activity in DSS-induced colitis animal model. Our results indicate that Samiunkyungtang may possess therapeutic effect on the development of DSS-induced colitis.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2003

In this study, we investgated the effect of Red Ginseng (KRG) on liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride (CTC) and galactosamine (GalN) in rats using indicator enzymes such as serum alanine/aspartate aminotransferases, sorbital dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, and ${\gamma}$-glutamyltransferase. Treatment of KRG restored these enzyme activities to near normal level compared to CTC or GalN treatment alone. Treatment of KRG also enhanced hepatic microsomal enzyme system, malondialdehyde formation, and depletion of reduced glutathione content, which were reduced by CTC or GalN. We also found that the decreased activities of glutathione S-transferase and glutathine reductase but not ${\gamma}$-glutamycysteine synthetase after KRG treatment restored to normal level. These results indicate that KRG has potent therapeutic activity against CTC- and GalN-induced hepatotoxicity in rat.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.476-481
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• 2022

Ubiquitin signaling regulates virtually all aspects of eukaryotic biology and dynamic processes in which protein substrates are modified by ubiquitin. To regulate these processes, deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) cleave ubiquitin or ubiquitin-like proteins from these substrates. DUBs have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cancer, leading to the development of increasing numbers of small-molecule DUB inhibitors. On the other hand, recent studies have focused on the function of DUBs in metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and fatty liver diseases. DUBs play a positive or negative role in the progression and development of metabolic diseases. Their involvement in cell pathology and regulation of major transcription factors in metabolic syndrome has been examined in vitro and in animal and human biopsies. UCH, USP7, and USP19 were linked to adipocyte differentiation, body weight gain, and insulin resistance in genetic or diet-induced obesity. CYLD, USP4, and USP18 were found to be closely associated with fatty liver diseases. In addition, these liver diseases were accompanied by body weight change in certain cases. Collectively, in this review, we discuss the current understanding of DUBs in metabolic diseases with a particular focus on obesity. We also provide basic knowledge and regulatory mechanisms of DUBs and suggest these enzymes as therapeutic targets for metabolic diseases.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.753-763
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• 2018

Cysteine cathepsins are lysosomal enzymes that belong to the papain family and can induce the degradation of damaged proteins through the endo-lysosomal pathway. It is highly upregulated in many cancers by regulating gene amplification and transcriptional, translational, and post-transcriptional modifications. Cathepsin S is part of the cysteine cathepsin family. Many studies have demonstrated that cathepsin S not only plays a specific role in MHC class II antigen presentation but also plays a crucial role in cancers. Cathepsin S is more stable at a neutral pH compared to other cysteine cathepsins, which supports the importance of cathepsin S in disease microenvironments. Therefore, the dysregulation of cathepsin S has participated in a variety of pathological processes, including cancer, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, a decrease or depletion in the expression of cathepsin S has been implicated in the processes of tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Taken together, cathepsin S has been suggested as an attractive therapeutic target for cancer therapy. In this review, the known involvement of cathepsin S in diseases, particularly with respect to recent work indicating its role in cancer therapy, is examined. An overview of current literature on the inhibitors of cathepsin S as a therapeutic target for cancer is also provided.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.69-79
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• 2011

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fi fth most common malignancy in the world and complicates liver cirrhosis related to hepatitis C virus (HCV) in many cases. We evaluated the therapeutic effect of Korean red ginseng extract (KGE) in patients with chronic liver diseases. Thirty male and female patients with HCC and another thirty with liver cirrhosis were included. Each category was divided into two groups; the first was used as control group, and received medical therapy only and the second group received the medical therapy supplemented with KGE capsules. The treated group with HCC received three KGE capsules/day (900 mg) while the treated group with HCV received two KGE capsules/day (600 mg) for 11 weeks along with their medical therapy. All patients were subjected to clinical examination and laboratory investigations, including liver function tests (at baseline, after 6 weeks of treatment and at the end of the study) and abdominal ultrasonography. Patients showing focal hepatic lesions were subjected to triphasic spiral abdominal computerized tomography and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). HCV RNA was determined quantitatively by Roche for patients in the HCV group. Results showed that the medical therapy alone failed to normalize the liver enzymes or decrease the virus concentration. KGE administration induced a significant improvement in liver function tests, decreased the tumor marker (AFP) levels, and decreased the viral titers in HCV patients. Thus, KGE demonstrated powerful therapeutic effects against HCV and liver cancer.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.193-198
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• 2015

Most of targeted therapies block the action of certain enzymes, proteins, or other molecules involved in the growth and spread of cancer cells to produce its cytotoxic effect. Either small molecule drugs or monoclonal antibodies are mostly used in targeted therapies. Unfortunately, targeted therapy has a certain degree of unwanted side effect like other cytotoxicity inducing chemotherapies. To overcome and to reduce unwanted side effects during a cancer therapy, recently radiopeptide therapies has got the worlds' attraction for the tumor targeting modalities due to its beneficial effect on less side effect compared to cytotoxic chemotherapies. Among radiopeptide therapies, $^{177}Lu$-DOTATATE is a major modality as an effective one invented so far in treating neuroendocrine tumor (NET) and it has been in clinical trials at least one decade. Although it does have rather effective therapeutic effect on NET, it has less effective in rather large solid tumor. There are many ways to improve or increase therapeutic effect of radiopeptide are a finding the potent small molecules to target the tumor site selectively, or a labeling with radioisotope of emitting high energy, or an improving its biological half-life by introducing different moieties to increase lipophilicity. Present study was focus to increase a biological half-life of radio somatostatin which will target the somatostatin receptor by altering the bifunctional chelator (BFCA) by introducing lipophilic moiety to the somatostatin, which would make the labeled peptide stay longer in the tumor site and thus it can intensify the therapeutic effect on tumor cell itself and around tissues.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2008

This review was written to introduce updated data on the structure and function of the major milk proteins identified as allergens, the characterization of their epitopes in each allergenic milk proteins, and the reduction of milk protein allergenicity. Most mammalian milk protein, even protein present at low concentration, are potential allergens. Epitopes identified in milk proteins are both conformational(structured epitope) and sequential epitopes(linear epitope), throughout the protein molecules. Epitopes on casein and whey proteins are reported to be sequential epitope and conformational epitopes, respectively. Conformational epitopes on whey protein are changed into sequential epitope by heat denaturation during heat treatment. Several methods have been proposed to reduce allergenicity of milk proteins. Most ideal and acceptable method to make hypoallergenic milk or formula, so far, is the hydrolysis of allergenic milk proteins by enzymes that has substrate specificity, such as pepsin, trypsin, or chymotrypsin. Commercial formulas based on milk protein hydrolysate are available for therapeutic purpose, hypoantigenic formula for infants from families with a history of milk allergy and hypoallergenic formula for infants with existing allergic symptoms.