• BMB Reports
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• v.54 no.8
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• pp.403-412
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• 2021

In the tumor microenvironment, immune checkpoint ligands (ICLs) must be expressed in order to trigger the inhibitory signal via immune checkpoint receptors (ICRs). Although ICL expression frequently occurs in a manner intrinsic to tumor cells, extrinsic factors derived from the tumor microenvironment can fine-tune ICL expression by tumor cells or prompt non-tumor cells, including immune cells. Considering the extensive interaction between T cells and other immune cells within the tumor microenvironment, ICL expression on immune cells can be as significant as that of ICLs on tumor cells in promoting antitumor immune responses. Here, we introduce various regulators known to induce or suppress ICL expression in either tumor cells or immune cells, and concise mechanisms relevant to their induction. Finally, we focus on the clinical significance of understanding the mechanisms of ICLs for an optimized immunotherapy for individual cancer patients.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.303-310
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• 2002

Cell therapy applied to wound healing or tissue regeneration presents a revolutionary realm to which principles of gene engineering and delivery may be applied. One promising application is the transplantation of cells into the wounded tissue to help the tissue repair. However, when cells are transplanted from in vitro to in vivo, immune rejection occurs due to the immune response triggered by the activation of T-cell, and the transplanted cells are destroyed by the attack of activated T-cell and lose their function. Immune suppressant such as FK506 is commonly used to suppress immune rejection during transplantation. However, such kind of immune suppressants not only suppresses immune rejection in the periphery of transplanted cells but also suppresses whole immune response system against pathogenic infection. In order to solve this problem, we developed a method to protect the desired cells from immune rejection without impairing whole immune system during cell transplantation. Previously, we reported the success of constructing glomerular epithelial cells for removal of immune complex, in which complement receptor of type 1 (CR1) was over-expressed on the membrane of renal glomerular epithelial cells and could bind immune complex of DNA/anti-DNA-antibody to remove immune complex through phagocy-tosis [1]. Attempting to apply the CR1-expressing cells to cell therapy and evade immune rejection during cell transplantation, we constructed three plasmids containing genes encoding a soluble fusion protein of cytolytic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4 (CTLA4Ig) and an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). The plasmids were transfected to the above-mentioned glomerular epithelial cells to express both genes simultaneously. Using the clone cells for cell transplantation showed that mice with autoimmune disease prolonged their life significantly as compared with the control mice, and two injections of the cells at the beginning of two weeks resulted in remarkable survivability, whereas it requires half a year and 50 administrations of proteins purified from the same amount of cells to achieve the same effect.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.390-397
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• 2013

Primary-cultured immune cells are widely used in research to elucidate the mechanism of inflammation including chemotaxis, production of reactive oxygen species, cytokine release and antigen presenting. Mice are one of the species of experimental animals commonly used for such studies. Immune cells can be isolated and cultured from various organs such as bone marrow, peritoneal cavity, lung, spleen. For elaborated experimental studies, immune cells should be elicited with inflammatory substances or proliferated in vitro with special media. This paper details methods of obtaining immune cells from various organs of mice and investigating immune mechanism using isolated immune cells. It contains standard protocols of isolating and culturing immune cells from bone marrow, peritoneal cavity and lymphoid organs. It also covers the methods of investigating immune mechanism such as ELISA, western blotting, confocal microscopy and ELISPOT assay. With the works in this study, we established the standardized isolation and analysis methods of primary-cultured immune cells.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.26-32
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• 2016

Aortic valve stenosis is a heart disease prevalent in the elderly characterized by valvular calcification, fibrosis, and inflammation, but its exact pathogenesis remains unclear. Previously, aortic valve stenosis was thought to be caused by chronic passive and degenerative changes associated with aging. However, recent studies have demonstrated that atherosclerotic processes and inflammation can induce valvular calcification and bone deposition, leading to valvular stenosis. In particular, the most abundant cell type in cardiac valves, valvular interstitial cells, can differentiate into myofibroblasts and osteoblast-like cells, leading to valvular calcification and stenosis. Differentiation of valvular interstitial cells can be trigged by inflammatory stimuli from several immune cell types, including macrophages, dendritic cells, T cells, B cells, and mast cells. This review indicates that crosstalk between immune cells and valvular interstitial cells plays an important role in the development of aortic valve stenosis.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.16-26
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• 2015

The female reproductive tract has two main functions: protection against microbial challenge and maintenance of pregnancy to term. The upper reproductive tract comprises the fallopian tubes and the uterus, including the endocervix, and the lower tract consists of the ectocervix and the vagina. Immune cells residing in the reproductive tract play contradictory roles: they maintain immunity against vaginal pathogens in the lower tract and establish immune tolerance for sperm and an embryo/fetus in the upper tract. The immune system is significantly influenced by sex steroid hormones, although leukocytes in the reproductive tract lack receptors for estrogen and progesterone. The leukocytes in the reproductive tract are distributed in either an aggregated or a dispersed form in the epithelial layer, lamina propria, and stroma. Even though immune cells are differentially distributed in each organ of the reproductive tract, the predominant immune cells are T cells, macrophages/dendritic cells, natural killer (NK) cells, neutrophils, and mast cells. B cells are rare in the female reproductive tract. NK cells in the endometrium significantly expand in the late secretory phase and further increase their number during early pregnancy. It is evident that NK cells and regulatory T (Treg) cells are extremely important in decidual angiogenesis, trophoblast migration, and immune tolerance during pregnancy. Dysregulation of endometrial/decidual immune cells is strongly related to infertility, miscarriage, and other obstetric complications. Understanding the immune system of the female reproductive tract will significantly contribute to women's health and to success in pregnancy.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.48-56
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• 2022

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) secreted by most cells carry bioactive macromolecules including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids for intercellular communication. Given that some immune cell-derived sEVs exhibit anti-cancer properties, these sEVs have received scientific attention for the development of novel anti-cancer immunotherapeutic agents. In this paper, we reviewed the latest advances concerning the biological roles of immune cell-derived sEVs for cancer therapy. sEVs derived from immune cells including dendritic cells (DCs), T cells, natural-killer (NK) cells, and macrophages are good candidates for sEV-based cancer therapy. Besides their role of cancer vaccines, DC-shed sEVs activated cytotoxic lymphocytes and killed tumor cells. sEVs isolated from NK cells and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells exhibited cytotoxicity against cancer cells. sEVs derived from CD8⁺ T and CD4⁺ T cells inhibited cancer-associated cells in tumor microenvironment (TME) and activated B cells, respectively. M1-macrophage-derived sEVs induced M2 to M1 repolarization and also created a pro-inflammatory environment. Hence, these sEVs, via mono or combination therapy, could be considered in the treatment of cancer patients in the future. In addition, sEVs derived from cytokine-stimulated immune cells or sEV engineering could improve their anti-tumor potency.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.4.1-4.17
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• 2020

Tregs have a role in immunological tolerance and immune homeostasis by suppressing immune reactions, and its therapeutic potential is critical in autoimmune diseases and cancers. There have been multiple studies conducted on Tregs because of their roles in immune suppression and therapeutic potential. In tumor immunity, Tregs can promote the development and progression of tumors by preventing effective anti-tumor immune responses in tumor-bearing hosts. High infiltration of Tregs into tumor tissue results in poor survival in various types of cancer patients. Identifying factors specifically expressed in Tregs that affect the maintenance of stability and function of Tregs is important for understanding cancer pathogenesis and identifying therapeutic targets. Thus, manipulation of Tregs is a promising anticancer strategy, but finding markers for Treg-specific depletion and controlling these cells require fine-tuning and further research. Here, we discuss the role of Tregs in cancer and the development of Treg-targeted therapies to promote cancer immunotherapy.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2015

Innate immune cells survey antigenic materials beneath our body surfaces and provide a front-line response to internal and external danger signals. Dendritic cells (DCs), a subset of innate immune cells, are critical sentinels that perform multiple roles in immune responses, from acting as principal modulators to priming an adaptive immune response through antigen-specific signaling. In the gut, DCs meet exogenous, non-harmful food antigens as well as vast commensal microbes under steady-state conditions. In other instances, they must combat pathogenic microbes to prevent infections. In this review, we focus on the function of intestinal DCs in maintaining intestinal immune homeostasis. Specifically, we describe how intestinal DCs affect IgA production from B cells and influence the generation of unique subsets of T cell.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.354-368
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• 2012

Thousands of literatures have described the diverse role of ginseng in physiological processes such as cancer, neurodegenera tive disorders, insulin resistance, and hypertension. In particular, ginseng has been extensively reported to maintain homeostasis of the immune system and to enhance resistance to illness or microbial attacks through the regulation of immune system. Immune system comprises of different types of cells fulfilling their own specialized functions, and each type of the immune cells is differentially influenced and may be simultaneously controlled by ginseng treatment. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the effects of ginseng on immune system. We discuss how ginseng regulates each type of immune cells including macrophages, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, T cells, and B cells. We also describe how ginseng exhibits beneficial effects on controlling inflammatory diseases and microbial infections.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2016

Th2 cell immunity is required for host defense against helminths, but it is detrimental in allergic diseases in humans. Unlike Th1 cell and Th17 cell subsets, the mechanism by which dendritic cells modulate Th2 cell responses has been obscure, in part because of the inability of dendritic cells to provide IL-4, which is indispensable for Th2 cell lineage commitment. In this regard, immune cells other than dendritic cells, such as basophils and innate lymphoid cells, have been suggested as Th2 cell inducers. More recently, multiple independent researchers have shown that specialized subsets of dendritic cells mediate Th2 cell responses. This review will discuss the current understanding related to the regulation of Th2 cell responses by dendritic cells and other immune cells.