• 생명과학회지
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.673-679
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• 2016

최근에 종양을 예방하거나 치료하기 위하여 안전하고 효과적인 항암화합물의 개발이 절실하게 요구되고 있다. 그 중에서 전통약재로부터 유래된 천연화합물은 항암후보소재로 관심의 대상이 되어왔다. 본 연구에서 사용된 aesculetin은 약용식물로 널리 알려진 산초나무의 주요 성분이다. Aesculetin은 항염증 및 항균과 같은 다양한 생물학적 효과를 가진다고 보고되었다. 그러나 세포침윤과 관련된 효과는 아직 발견되지 않았다. 그러므로 본 연구에서는 사람섬유아육종세포(HT1080)에서 항산화와 기질금속단백질분해효소(MMPs)에 대한 aesculetin의 효과를 조사하였다. 항산화 효과에 대한 연구에서 aesculetin은 DPPH radical에 대한 소거능뿐 만 아니라 환원력이 우수한 것으로 나타났다. 우선, MTT 실험을 이용하여 HT1080세포에서 aesculetin의 2 μM 이하의 농도에서 독성이 없는 것으로 나타났다. MMP-2와 MMP-9의 활성과 단백질 발현 수준에 대한 aesculetin의 억제효과는 gelatin zymography와 western blot을 이용하여 조사되었다. Aesculetin은 세포침윤과 관련된 MMP-9의 활성의 억제효과가 있는 것으로 나타났다. 더욱이, aesculetin은 TIMP-1의 단백질 발현 수준을 증가시켰으나, PMA로 자극된 MMP-9의 단백질 발현 수준을 감소시켰다. 더불어 aesculetin은 농도의존적으로 암전이와 관련된 세포침윤을 현저하게 억제하였다. 위의 결과들을 바탕으로, aesculetin은 세포침윤과 관련된 MMP의 활성과 발현의 억제를 통해 세포침윤을 예방할 수 있는 소재로서 기대된다.

• BMB Reports
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.128-137
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• 2003

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), zinc dependent proteolytic enzymes, cleave extracellular matrix (ECM: collagen, laminin, firbronectin, etc) as well as non-matrix substrates (growth factors, cell surface receptors, etc). The deregulation of MMPs is involved in many diseases, such as tumor metastasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and periodontal disease. Metastasis is the major cause of death among cancer patients. In this review, we will focus on the roles of MMPs in tumor metastasis. The process of metastasis involves a cascade of linked, sequential steps that involve multiple host-tumor interactions. Specifically, MMPs are involved in many steps of tumor metastasis. These include tumor invasion, migration, host immune escape, extravasation, angiogenesis, and tumor growth. Therefore, without MMPs, the tumor cell cannot perform successful metastasis. The activities of MMPs are tightly regulated at the gene transcription levels, zymogen activation by proteolysis, and inhibition of active forms by endogenous inhibitors, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP), and RECK. The detailed regulations of MMPs are described in this review.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• 제62권4호
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• pp.367-374
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• 2019

Euphorbia humifusa Willd (EuH), called Ttang-Bin-Dae in Korea, is a traditional medicinal plant widely used for its anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity. Ethyl acetate (EA) extracts of EuH (EA/EuH) inhibit invasion and metastasis by inhibiting tumor necrosis factor TNFá-induced matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-9 expression in human breast cancer cells. However, the bioactive components of EA/EuH mediating the inhibition of MMP-9 expression have not been identified. In the present study, three bioactive constituents of EA/EuH were isolated using high-performance liquid chromatography. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed isoquercetin, avicularin, and astragalin as the bioactive compounds responsible for preventing TNFα-induced MMP-9 mRNA expression in breast cancer cells. These findings suggest that isoquercetin, avicularin, and astragalin could be used as valuable anti-metastatic agents against metastatic cancers.

• BMB Reports
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.106-115
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• 2002

The serine/threonine kinase Akt has been intensely studied for its role in growth factor-mediated cell survival for the past 5 years. On the other hand, the ongoing research effort has recently uncovered novel regulatory mechanisms and downstream effectors of Akt that demonstrate the involvement of Akt in other cellular functions such as cell cycle progression, angiogenesis, and cancer cell invasion/metastasis. Furthermore, recent studies using whole model organisms suggest additional roles for Akt in important diseases such as aging and diabetes. The following review addresses these recent advances in the understanding of Akt function.

• BMB Reports
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• 제54권7호
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• pp.344-355
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• 2021

Mucins are high molecular-weight epithelial glycoproteins and are implicated in many physiological processes, including epithelial cell protection, signaling transduction, and tissue homeostasis. Abnormality of mucus expression and structure contributes to biological properties related to human cancer progression. Tumor growth sites induce inhospitable conditions. Many kinds of research suggest that mucins provide a microenvironment to avoid hypoxia, acidic, and other biological conditions that promote cancer progression. Given that the mucus layer captures growth factors or cytokines, we propose that mucin helps to ameliorate inhospitable conditions in tumor-growing sites. Additionally, the composition and structure of mucins enable them to mimic the surface of normal epithelial cells, allowing tumor cells to escape from immune surveillance. Indeed, human cancers such as mucinous carcinoma, show a higher incidence of invasion to adjacent organs and lymph node metastasis than do non-mucinous carcinoma. In this mini-review, we discuss how mucin provides a tumor-friendly environment and contributes to increased cancer malignancy in mucinous carcinoma.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.18.1-18.9
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• 2018

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are classified as RNAs that are longer than 200 nucleotides and cannot be translated into protein. Several studies have demonstrated that lncRNAs are directly or indirectly involved in a variety of biological processes and in the regulation of gene expression. In addition, lncRNAs have important roles in many diseases including cancer. It has been shown that abnormal expression of lncRNAs is observed in several human solid tumors. Several studies have shown that many lncRNAs can function as oncogenes in cancer development through the induction of cell cycle progression, cell proliferation and invasion, anti-apoptosis, and metastasis. Oncogenic lncRNAs have the potential to become promising biomarkers and might be potent prognostic targets in cancer therapy. However, the biological and molecular mechanisms of lncRNA involvement in tumorigenesis have not yet been fully elucidated. This review summarizes studies on the regulatory and functional roles of oncogenic lncRNAs in the development and progression of various types of cancer.

• Mycobiology
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• 제50권6호
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• pp.457-466
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• 2022

Epicoccum nigrum is a saprophytic or endophytic fungus that is found worldwide. Because of the antagonist effects of E. nigrum on many plant pathogens, current studies on E. nigrum have focused on the development of biological control agents and the utilization of its various metabolites. In this study, E. nigrum was collected from a wheat field, and its genetic diversity was analyzed. Phylogenetic analyses identified 63 isolates of E. nigrum divided into seven groups, indicating a wide genetic diversity. Isolates antagonized the wheat pathogen Fusarium graminearum, and reduced disease symptoms caused by F. graminearum in wheat coleoptiles. Moreover, pretreatment of wheat coleoptiles with E. nigrum induced the upregulation of pathogen-related (PR) genes, PR1, PR2, PR3, PR5, PR9, and PR10 in wheat coleoptiles responding to F. graminearum invasion. Overall, this study indicates that E. nigrum isolates can be used as biological pathogen inhibitors applied in wheat fields.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권8호
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• pp.4823-4827
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• 2013

Objective: To study the mechanism of effects of AZD1480 on the SKOV3 ovarian cancer cell line. Methods: The MTT method was used to assess cellular proliferation, flow cytometry for cellular apoptosis, the scratch test to determine migration, transwell chamber assays to detect cellular invasion, plate clone experiments to detect the clone forming ability and Western blotting to determine p-STAT3 protein levels. Results: The proliferation rate, migration ability, invasiveness and the clone forming ability of SKOV3 cells were reduced after treatment with AZD1480, while apoptosis rate and chemotherapeutic susceptibility were increased. After treatment with AZD1480 plus cisplatin, the apoptosis rate increased significantly while the expression level of p-STAT3 protein was decreased. Conclusion: AZD1480 can inhibit the proliferation, invasion, metastasis and clone formation of SKOV3 cells, induce cellulsar apoptosis, increase the chemotherapeutic sensitivity and reduce the expression level of p-STAT3 protein.

• 자원환경지질
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• 제54권1호
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• pp.137-150
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• 2021

서악동 마애여래삼존입상은 경주 선도산 정상부의 동남향에 조성된 통일신라시대의 거석불로 입지적 중요성과 함께 힘찬 아미타불상과 부드러운 협시보살의 조각수법이 매우 특징적이다. 특히 안산암질 암반에 불신을 새기고 흑운모화강암을 대좌로 장식한 아미타불상과 좌우 병렬식으로 배치된 알칼리 화강암으로 조성된 협시불은 석재의 색상 및 질감을 통해 석불의 위엄을 잘 표현하였다. 아미타불상은 암반에 형성된 절리로 인한 불연속면의 발달과 사면의 불안정성, 최상부에서 발생하는 식물의 근압에 의한 암반의 이완현상이 결부되어 손상이 가속되고 있다. 또한 절리와 균열 및 박리 등 불연속면의 증가로 인해 물성이 크게 저하되었으며 조류 및 지의류의 피복도가 높은 상태이다. 따라서 마애여래삼존입상에 발생한 손상정도는 아미타불상이 마애불로 조성되면서 나타난 물리적 풍화특성과 다양한 생물침해에 의해 손상이 가속화되는 것으로 판단된다.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.17-25
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• 2022

Purpose: To determine the prognostic role of muscle area and muscle radiation attenuation in the erector spinae (ES) and multifidus (MF) muscles in patients undergoing gastrectomy. Methods: Patients with stage I-III gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Clinicopathologic characteristics were collected and analyzed. Both paraspinal muscle index of ES/MF muscles (PMI_EM) and paraspinal muscle radiation attenuation in the same muscles (PMRA_EM) were analyzed at the 3rd lumbar level using axial computed tomographic images. Cox regression analysis was applied to estimate overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Results: There was only a weak correlation between PMI_EM and PMRA_EM (r= 0.28). Multivariate Cox regression revealed that PMRA_EM, but not PMI_EM, was an important determinant of survival. PMRA_EM along with age, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, perineural invasion, and serum albumin level were significant determinants of both OS and DFS that constituted Model 1. Harrell's concordance index and integrated area under receiver operating characteristic curve were greater for Model 1 than for Model 2 (consisting of the same covariates as Model 1 except PMRA_EM) or Model 3 (consisting of only TNM stage). Conclusion: PMRA_EM, but not PMIEM, was an important determinant of survival. Because there was only a weak correlation between PMI_EM and PMRA_EM in this study, it was presumed that they were mutually exclusive. Model 1 consisting of age, TNM stage, perineural invasion, serum albumin level, and PMRA_EM was greater than nested models (i.e., Model 2 or Model 3) in predicting survival outcomes.