• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.13-24
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• 2024

Cytokines influence the overall cancer immune cycle by triggering tumor antigen expression, antigen presenting, immune cell priming and activation, effector immune cell recruitment and infiltration to cancer, and cancer killing in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Therefore, cytokines have been considered potential anti-cancer immunotherapy, and cytokine-based anti-cancer therapies continue to be an active area of research and development in the field of cancer immunotherapy, with ongoing clinical trials exploring new strategies to improve efficacy and safety. In this review, we examine past and present clinical developments for major anticancer cytokines, including interleukins (IL-2, IL-15, IL-12, IL-21), interferons, TGF-beta, and GM-CSF. We identify the current status and changes in the technology platform being applied to cytokine-based immune anti-cancer therapeutics. Through this, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of cytokine-based immune anti-cancer treatments in the current immunotherapy market and suggest development directions to enhance the clinical use of cytokines as immuno-anticancer drugs in the future.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.726-732
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• 2021

In this study, we evaluated the immune-enhancing activity of kimchi-derived Lactobacillus plantarum 200655 on immune suppression by cyclophosphamide (CP) in ICR mice. Animals were fed distilled water or 1×10⁹ colony-forming unit/kg B.W. 200655 or Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG as a positive control for 14 days. An in vivo model of immunosuppression was induced using CP 150 and 100 mg/kg B.W. at 7 and 10 days, respectively. Body weight, spleen index, spleen weight, and gene expression were measured to estimate the immune-enhancing effects. The dead 200655 (D-200655) group showed an increased spleen weight compared to the sham control (SC) group. Similarly, the spleen index was significantly higher than that in the CP-treated group. The live 200655 (L-200655) group showed an increased mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6 in splenocytes. Also, the iNOS and COX-2 mRNA expression was upregulated in the L-200655 group compared to the CP-only (SC) group. The phosphorylation of ERK and MAPK was also upmodulated in the L-200655 group. These results indicate that L. plantarum 200655 ameliorated CP-induced immune suppression, suggesting that L. plantarum 200655 may have the potential to enhance the immune system.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.154-170
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• 2001

Objective : To broaden understanding about acupuncture and moxibustion therapy on AIDS and to promote base studies and clinical trials Materials and Methods : Analysis was given to more than 30 literatures including acupuncture and moxibustion therapy on AIDS-related sites explored by internet search engine named NAVER from Nov., 2000 to Feb. 20th, 2001 Results : 1. Acupuncture and moxibustion played great role as a complementary therapy in enabling AIDS patients to keep their antiretroviral therapy by enhancing immune system, ameliorating AIDS-related symptoms and side effect of antiretroviral drug 2. Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy had a broad spectrum indication from systemic or local signs of AIDS patients to signs of antiretroviral drug-related side effect 3. Contraindication of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy against AIDS patients include abstraction and moxibustion on the skin lesion, because of their easy exposure to inflammation 4. AIDS patients were regarded as the state of KI-HE(氣虛), EUM-HE(陰虛), YEOL-DOK(熱毒) in general 5. BO-KI(補氣), BO-HYUL(補血), BO-EUM(補陰), CHEONG-YEOL-HAE-DOK(淸熱解毒) were shown as a principle of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy for AIDS patients 6. Principle of selecting acupoints for AIDS patients had characteristics of enhancing immune system, detoxicating detrimental agents and relieving each AIDS related symptom appropriately 7. Acupuncture on 合谷(HAPKOK, LI4), 內關(NAE-GWAN, P6), 足三里(CHOK-SAMNI, S36) were applied to the early stage of AIDS in order to enhance immune system. Acupuncture on 血海(HYOLHAE, SP10), 三陰交(SAMUMGYO, SP6), (KOHWANG, B43) were applied to the intermediate stage of AIDS so as to enhance immune system and eliminate YEOL-DOK(熱毒) in blood. Moxibustion on 湧泉(YONGCHON, K1), 足三里(CHOK-SAMNI, S36) were applied to the late stage owing to enhance immune system more. Conclusion : The efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy on AIDS has been acknowledged to the world, moreover, it is proved to be significant as a complementary therapy on AIDS patients. Thus, more control group studies of the efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy on AIDS and clinical trials are considered to be necessary.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.66.2-66.2
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• 2015

There is the urgent need of new human health care's technology against cancers or tumors based on plasma electronics, medicine and biology. Main target of our study is to enhance efficacy and selectivity of plasma on cancer cells with metabolic modifiers and by inducing immune-modulations. We have evaluated the combination effect of plasma with metabolic modifiers (2-DG) on various solid and liquid cancers. Our findings suggest that 2-DG enhances the efficacy and selectivity of plasma and induces apoptosis in blood cancer cells through glucose deprivation. Finally, we conclude that 2-DG with non-thermal plasma may be used as a combination treatment against cancer cells. Our work also comprises plasma induced activation of immune cells; which find applications for curing various kinds of resistant tumors and other dreadful diseases. Plasma significantly activates immune cells which increases cell death in solid tumors in co-culture conditions.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.52-57
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• 2002

Effects of the butanl fraction of Astragali Radix (BFAR) on the cellular and nonspecific immune responses were investigated in ICR mice. Mice were divided into 4 groups and BFAR at doses of 5, 25 and 125 mg/kg u ere administered orally to mice daily for 3 weeks, and the normal animals were given vehicle. The results of this study are summarized as follows; the relative weight of thymus was greatly increased by BFAR treatment, compared with that in mormal mice. However, the body weight gain was not affected. Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) for cellular immunity was significantly enhanced by BFAR treatment, compared with those in normal mice. In these mice, BFAR also dose-dependently increased activities of phagocyte and natural killer (NK) cells as well as the number of leukocyte resulted from nonspecific immunity Thus, these results demonstrate that BFAF treatment results in a significant increase in both cellular and nonspecific immune responses to antigen in concentrations that enhance humoral immune function.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.221-230
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• 1992

In order to investigate the effects of shipjuntaepotang (少陰人 十全大補湯) on immune response, the author performed this experimental study. Delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) and rosette forming cells (RFC) for cell-mediated immune response, hemagglutinin (HA) titers, hemolysin (HL) titers, and carbon clearance for phagocytic function of MPS (mononuclear phagocyte system) were measured in ICR mice. The results were summarized as follows. 1. DTH in the experimental group was increased, as compared with the control group, with statistical significance. 2. RFC in the experimental group was increased, as compared with the control group, with statistical significance. 3. HA-titers were increased in the experimental group, as compared with the control group, with statistical significance. 4. HL-titers were increased in the experimental group, as compared with the control group, with statistical significance. 5. Carbon clearance was increased in the experimental group, as compared with the control group, with statistical significance. Through invivo experimental study in ICR mice, these findings suggest that shipjuntaepo-tang enhance both cellmediated and humoral immune responce.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.201-210
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• 2019

The oncolytic viruses selectively infect and destroy cancer cells, not harming normal cells. The cancer cell materials released by oncolysis, like tumor antigens, stimulate host antitumor immune responses, which is a long-lasting antitumor immunity removing cancer cells in remote parts of the body by a systemic response. Oncolytic viruses armed with transgenes such as cytokines or other immune stimulating factors enhance the immune responses. The first oncolytic virus approved by US-FDA is $Imlygic^{(R)}$ targeting for melanoma. The oncolytic virus is considered as a revolutionary immunotherapy for tumors together with immune checkpoint inhibitors. A variety of oncolytic viruses are under research in the treatment of kidney cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, and many others solid tumors. Clinical trials have shown promising results in different types of cancers. Here, we present a brief introduction of various aspects of oncolytic virus, and a review of the current status of oncolytic virus therapy development.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.11-15
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• 2018

Chemotherapy and surgical resection are the mainstay of cancer treatment. Particularly for chemotherapy, although it is effective method to care, sometimes cure various cancers, there are many different status of cancer not being controlled by chemotherapy such as recurrence and resistance to chemotherapy. In order to overcome those difficulties during cancer therapy, immunotherapy targeting immune cells and immune associated factors to enhance cancer immunity has been highlighted. Innate immunity plays important roles on initial stage of cancer immunity that are detecting, killing cancer cells and initiating adaptive immunity for cancer. So many basic and clinical studies to manage innate immunity for cancer therapy have been going on, and most of them were to stimulate innate immune cells including dendritic cell, macrophage, monocyte, and natural killer cell in various ways. They showed promising results but still there are many things to be resolved before clinical application. Herein, I review the role of innate immune cells and therapeutic trials for colorectal cancer.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.371-375
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• 2023

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells and play important roles as the first immune cells to recognize and kill cancer. In patients with advanced and terminal cancer, NK cells are often inactivated, suggesting that NK cells may play important roles in cancer treatment. In particular, the proportion of NK cells among immune cells infiltrating tumor tissues is often low, which suggests that NK cells do not survive in tumor microenvironment (TME). In order to overcome these hurdles of NK cells in cancer treatment, it is critical to develop strategies that enhance the proliferation and cytolytic activity of NK cells. We applied Vemurafenib to NK cells and measured the degree of NK cell proliferation and functional activation. We obtained unexpected results of increased NK cell numbers and anti-tumor activity after Vemurafenib treatment. Although further investigation is required to uncover the detailed mechanisms, our results suggest that Vemurafenib is a promising candidate to increase the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy using NK cells.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.187-200
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• 2014

Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) are the most common cause of genital ulceration in humans worldwide. Typically, HSV-1 and 2 infections via mucosal route result in a lifelong latent infection after peripheral replication in mucosal tissues, thereby providing potential transmission to neighbor hosts in response to reactivation. To break the transmission cycle, immunoprophylactics and therapeutic strategies must be focused on prevention of infection or reduction of infectivity at mucosal sites. Currently, our understanding of the immune responses against mucosal infection of HSV remains intricate and involves a balance between innate signaling pathways and the adaptive immune responses. Numerous studies have demonstrated that HSV mucosal infection induces type I interferons (IFN) via recognition of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and activates multiple immune cell populations, including NK cells, conventional dendritic cells (DCs), and plasmacytoid DCs. This innate immune response is required not only for the early control of viral replication at mucosal sites, but also for establishing adaptive immune responses against HSV antigens. Although the contribution of humoral immune response is controversial, $CD4^+$ Th1 T cells producing IFN-${\gamma}$ are believed to play an important role in eradicating virus from the hosts. In addition, the recent experimental successes of immunoprophylactic and therapeutic compounds that enhance resistance and/or reduce viral burden at mucosal sites have accumulated. This review focuses on attempts to modulate innate and adaptive immunity against HSV mucosal infection for the development of prophylactic and therapeutic strategies. Notably, cells involved in innate immune regulations appear to shape adaptive immune responses. Thus, we summarized the current evidence of various immune mediators in response to mucosal HSV infection, focusing on the importance of innate immune responses.