• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.113.1-113.1
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• 2006

• 한국약용작물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.221-222
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• 2012

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.156-162
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• 2015

Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) play a major role in the infiltrative growth of glioblastoma. Downregulatoion of the uPA and uPAR has been reported to inhibit the growth glioblastoma. Here, we demonstrate that tristetraprolin (TTP) inhibits the growth of U87MG human glioma cells through downregulation of uPA and uPAR. Our results show that expression level of TTP is inversely correlated with those of uPA and uPAR in human glioma cells and tissues. TTP binds to the AU-rich elements within the 3' untranslated regions of uPA and uPAR and overexpression of TTP decreased the expression of uPA and uPAR through enhancing the degradation of their mRNAs. In addition, overexpression of TTP inhibited the growth and invasion of U87MG cells. Our findings implicate that TTP can be used as a promising therapeutic target to treat human glioma.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.211-215
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• 2008

The HMG box containing protein (HBP) has a high mobility group domain and involved in the regulation of proliferation and differentiation of tissues. We screened HBP2 in glioblastoma using Suppression Subtractive Hybridization (SSH) and isolated human spermatogonial stem cell-like cells (hSSC-like cells) derived from patients of nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA). Expression of HBP2 was analyzed by RT-PCR in undifferentiated stem cells (human Embryonic Stem Cells, hSSC-like cells 2P) and spontaneous differentiated stem cells (hSSC-like cells 4P). It was overexpressed in hESC and hSSC-like cells 2P but not in hSSC-like cells 4P. Also, the expression level of HBP2 was downregulated in colon tumor tissues compared to normal tissues. Specifically in synchronized WI-38 cells, HBP2 was highly upregulated until the G1 phase of the cell cycle and gradually decreased during the S phase. Our results suggest that HBP2 was downregulated during the spontaneous differentiation of hSSC-like cells. HBP2 was differently expressed in colon tissues and was related to G1-progression in WI-38 cells. It may playa role in the maintenance of an undifferentiated hSSC-like cell state and transits from G1 to S in WI-38 cells. This research was important that it identified a biomarker for an undifferentiated state of hSSC-like cells and characterized its involvement to arrest during cell cycle in colon cancer.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.2335-2341
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• 2014

Chemical investigation on the methanol extract of the starfish Ctenodiscus crispatus resulted in the isolation of five steroids, (22E,$24{\zeta}$)-26,27-bisnor-24-methyl-$5{\alpha}$-cholest-22-en-$3{\beta}$,5,$6{\beta}$,$15{\alpha}$,25-pentol 25-O-sulfate (1), (22E,24R,25R)-24-methyl-$5{\alpha}$-cholest-22-en-$3{\beta}$,5,$6{\beta}$,$15{\alpha}$,25,26-hexol 26-O-sulfate (2), (28R)-24-ethyl-$5{\alpha}$-cholesta-$3{\beta}$,5,$6{\beta}$,8,$15{\alpha}$,28,29-heptaol-24-sulfate (3), (25S)-$5{\alpha}$-cholestane-$3{\beta}$,5,$6{\beta}$,$15{\alpha}$,$16{\beta}$,26-hexaol (4), and ${\Delta}7$-sitosterol (5). Their structures were identified by extensive spectroscopic analyses, including 1D, 2D NMR and MS and chemical methods. Compound 4 showed cytotoxicity against human hepatoma HepG2 and glioblastoma U87MG cells via inhibition of cell growth and induction of apoptosis. Induction of apoptosis by 4 was demonstrated by cell death, DNA fragmentation, increased Bax/Bcl-2 protein ratio and the activation of caspase-3, caspase-9 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP).

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.6813-6823
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• 2015

Glioblastoma, also known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is the most aggressive of human brain tumors and has a stunning progression with a mean survival of one year from the date of diagnosis. High cell proliferation, angiogenesis and/or necrosis are histopathological features of this cancer, which has no efficient curative therapy. This aggressiveness is associated with particular heterogeneity of the tumor featuring multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations, but also with implications of aberrant signaling driven by growth factors. The transforming growth factor ${\beta}$ ($TGF{\beta}$) superfamily is a large group of structurally related proteins including $TGF{\beta}$ subfamily members Nodal, Activin, Lefty, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and growth and differentiation factor (GDF). It is involved in important biological functions including morphogenesis, embryonic development, adult stem cell differentiation, immune regulation, wound healing and inflammation. This superfamily is also considered to impact on cancer biology including that of GBM, with various effects depending on the member. The $TGF{\beta}$ subfamily, in particular, is overexpressed in some GBM types which exhibit aggressive phenotypes. This subfamily impairs anti-cancer immune responses in several ways, including immune cells inhibition and major histocompatibility (MHC) class I and II abolishment. It promotes GBM angiogenesis by inducing angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-I) and insulinlike growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7), contributes to GBM progression by inducing metalloproteinases (MMPs), "pro-neoplastic" integrins (${\alpha}v{\beta}3$, ${\alpha}5{\beta}1$) and GBM initiating cells (GICs) as well as inducing a GBM mesenchymal phenotype. Equally, Nodal promotes GICs, induces cancer metabolic switch and supports GBM cell proliferation, but is negatively regulated by Lefty. Activin promotes GBM cell proliferation while GDF yields immune-escape function. On the other hand, BMPs target GICS and induce differentiation and sensitivity to chemotherapy. This multifaceted involvement of this superfamily in GBM necessitates different strategies in anti-cancer therapy. While suppressing the $TGF{\beta}$ subfamily yields advantageous results, enhancing BMPs production is also beneficial.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.7
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• pp.1022-1028
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• 2013

Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) was considered a functional food with an anti-cancer effect in colon, gastric, and lung cancer. Therefore, this study was conducted in order to elucidate the effect of chaga mushroom extract in brain cancer. Glioblastoma U-87 MG cells were used in investigation of cell survivability, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest analysis. Treatment with various concentrations of chaga mushroom extract resulted in inhibition of cell proliferation and cell cycle arrest. Although caspase-3 expression was increased over $100{\mu}g/mL$ of chaga mushroom extract treatment, apoptosis factors with Bcl-2, Bax and p53 did not change. In analysis of cell cycle regulatory factors, expression of cyclin D1 and CDK2 decreased in a dose-dependent manner. We have demonstrated the anti-cancer effect of chaga mushroom extract in glioblastoma, which may be mediated by activation of the caspase pathway and induction of cell cycle arrest.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.683-687
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• 2001

Objective : Angiogenesis, the proliferation of capillary endothelial cells, is a vital component in the development, progression, and metastasis of many human tumors. Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) is an endothelial cell-specific mitogen and induces angiogenesis and vascular permeability. The features of glioblastoma, distinct from low grade astrocytomas, are the presence of necroses and vascular endothelial proliferation. In this study, we investigated VEGF expression in the different grades of astrocytomas and determined whether VEGF expression correlates with development of glioblastoma and progression of astrocytomas. Patients and Methods : Forty seven patients with astrocytic tumors(24 males and 23 females), aged 3 to 65 years, were evaluated. Immunohistochemical staining was carried out using labelled streptavidin biotin method and primary antibody was a antirabbit polyclonal Ab against N-terminus region of VEGF165(Oncogene research product, MA, USA). Immunoreactivity(IR) was classified into no IR(absent or a trace of stain), moderate IR and intense IR by level of staining amount and intensity. Results : Six pilocytic astrocytomas showed 3 no IR and 3 moderate IR, 10 astrocytomas showed 2 no IR, 6 moderate IR and 2 intense IR, 12 anaplastic astrocytomas showed I no IR, 7 moderate IR and 4 intense IR and 19 glioblastomas showed 1 no IR, 11 moderate IR and 7 intense IR. Immunoreactivity was significantly different between low and high grade of tumors but there was no significant difference between anaplastic astrocytomas and glioblastomas. Gemistocytic tumor cells represented the predominent VEGF-immunoreactive cell types, as compared with compactly-arranged small tumor cells. In glioblastomas VEGF IR was observed in both perinecrotic and vital tumor areas. Conclusion : VEGF seems to be a important angiogenic factor in anaplastic astrocytomas and glioblastomas and VEGF expression may contribute to neovascularization of human astrocytomas.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.309-314
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• 2016

We first demonstrated that cordycepin inhibited cell growth and triggered apoptosis in U87MG cells with wild-type p53, but not in T98G cells with mutant-type p53. Western blot data revealed that the levels of procaspase-8, -3, and Bcl-2 were downregulated in cordycepin-treated U87MG cells, whereas the levels of Fas, FasL, Bak, cleaved caspase-3, -8, and cleaved PARP were upregulated, indicating that cordycepin induces apoptosis by activating the death receptor-mediated pathway in U87MG cells. Cordycepin-induced apoptosis could be suppressed by only SB203580, a p38 MAPK-specific inhibitor. These results suggest that cordycepin triggered apoptosis in U87MG cells through p38 MAPK activation and inhibition of the Akt survival pathway.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.4095-4099
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• 2013

Oxidative stress induces apoptosis in many cellular systems including glioblastoma cells, with caspase-8 activation was regarded as a major contribution to $H_2O_2$-induced cell death. This study focused on the role of the autophagic protein p62 in $H_2O_2$-induced apoptosis in U87MG cells. Oxidative stress was applied with $H_2O_2$, and cell apoptosis and viability were measured with use of caspase inhibitors or autophagic mediators or siRNA p62, GFP-p62 and GFP-p62-UBA (del) transfection. We found that $H_2O_2$-induced U87MG cell death was correlated with caspase-8. To understand the role of p62 in MG132-induced cell death, the levels of p62/SQSTM1 or autophagy in U87MG cells were modulated with biochemical or genetic methods. The results showed that the over-expression of wild type p62/SQSTM1 significantly reduced $H_2O_2$ induced cell death, but knockdown of p62 aggravated the process. In addition, inhibition of autophagy promoted p62 and active caspase-8 increasing $H_2O_2$-induced apoptosis while induction of autophagy manifested the opposite effect. We further demonstrated that the function of p62/SQSTM1 required its C-terminus UBA domain to attenuate $H_2O_2$ cytotoxity by inhibition of caspase-8 activity. Our results indicated that p62/SQSTM1 was a potential contributor to mediate caspase-8 activation by autophagy in oxidative stress process.