• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.165-170
• /
• 2013

Milk and dairy products are not only excellent foods for humans, providing plentiful varied nutrients, but are also a good medium for detrimental food-borne pathogens. Although the food safety field has stabilized due to standardization of food processing, such as the hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP), outbreaks and cases caused by food-borne pathogens still occur at high rates. In approximately 30% of cases, the disease-causing pathogenic organism is undetermined. Recently, a biosensor was developed that has a simple and fast response and overcomes the problems of conventional methods such as cultivation, immuno-assay, polymerase chain reaction, and microarray. Due to the high selectivity and sensitivity of optical biosensors, it is a suitable method for the immediate detection of food-borne pathogens in milk and dairy products.

• Research in Plant Disease
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.99-112
• /
• 2018

Certain agrochemicals may be tuned for increased effectiveness when downsized to nanoparticles (NPs), where one dimension is less than 100 nm. The NPs may function as fertilizers, pesticides and products to improve plant health through seed priming, growth promotion, and induction of systemic tolerance to stress. Formulations will allow targeted applications with timed release, reducing waste and pollution when compared to treatments with bulk-size products. The NPs may be a single component, such as nano-ZnO as a fertilizer, or be composites of compatible materials, for example where N, P, and K plus micronutrients are available. The active materials could be loaded into porous carriers or tethered to base nanostructures. Coatings could include such natural products alginate, chitosan, zein, or silica. Certain NPs are taken up and transported in the plant's phloem and xylem so systemic effects are feasible. Timed and targeted release of the active product could be achieved in response to changes in pH or availability of ligands within the plant or the rhizosphere. Global research has revealed the many potentials offered by NP formulations to aid sustainability in agriculture. Current work will provide information needed by regulatory agencies to assess their safety in the agricultural setting.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.290-293
• /
• 2005

In order to investigate the epitope of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and its immunogenicity, the epitopes of bFGF were screened from the phage display library with monoclonal antibody GF22, which can neutralize the bio-activity of bFGF. By three rounds of screening, the positive phage clones with bFGF epitopes were selected, which can effectively block the bFGF to bind with GF22. Sequence analysis showed that the epitopes shared a highly conservative sequence (Leu-Pro-Pro/Leu-Gly-His-Phe/Ile-Lys). The sequence of PPGHFK was located at 22-27 of the bFGF. The specific immuno-response of mouse could be highly induced by phage clones with the epitopes. And the anti-bFGF activity induced by LPGHFK was 3 times higher than the original sequence, which showed that the mimetic peptide LPLGHIK might be used as a tumor vaccine in the prevention and treatment of tumor.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.28 no.8
• /
• pp.936-941
• /
• 2005

In this trial we assessed the effect of soluble alginates on murine cells. Mouse peritoneal monocytes were stimulated in vitro with a solution of alginate. The production of $TNF-\alpha$ and nitric oxide (NO), the expression of surface molecules CD80 and CD86, and the ability of monocytes to phagocyte bacteria were assessed, in order to evaluate the effect of alginate on cell functionality. We showed that mouse peritoneal monocytes stimulated with alginate produce NO and $TNF-\alpha$. In addition, alginate is able also to increase their phagocytic activity and to a lesser extent also to increase the expression of CD80. Even with different degrees, it implies that alginates per se act directly on immune response, being able to effectively stimulate proinflammatory activity. These findings corroborate the idea that alginates can represent interesting adjuvants to use to increase the efficacy of antigenic stimulation.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.991-995
• /
• 2003

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of unripened fruits and ripened fruits of Rubus coreanus Miquel on murine peritoneal macrophages. The 70% ethyl alcohol extracts (20 or 100 mg/kg) of unripened fruits (RCE-I) and of ripened fruits (RCE-II) were administered p.o. once a day for 7 days to mice. RCE-I and RCE-II decreased the phagocytic activity of murine peritoneal macrophages and the production of nitric oxide. Also, RCE-I and RCE-II increased the production of tumor necrosis factor- a from peritoneal macrophages. In general, the immuno-suppressive action of RCE-I on macrophages was more potent than those of RCE-II. These results suggest that the fruits of Rubus coreanus Miquel regulates the non-specific immune response via decrease of phagocytic activity and increase of production of tumor necrosis factor- a from murine peritoneal macrophages.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.1-17
• /
• 2020

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are immature myeloid cells that exert suppressive function on the immune response. MDSCs expand in tumor-bearing hosts or in the tumor microenvironment and suppress T cell responses via various mechanisms, whereas a reduction in their activities has been observed in autoimmune diseases or infections. It has been reported that the symptoms of various diseases, including malignant tumors, can be alleviated by targeting MDSCs. Moreover, MDSCs can contribute to patient resistance to therapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors. In line with these therapeutic approaches, diverse oligonucleotide-based molecules and small molecules have been evaluated for their therapeutic efficacy in several disease models via the modulation of MDSC activity. In the current review, MDSC-targeting oligonucleotides and small molecules are briefly summarized, and we highlight the immunomodulatory effects on MDSCs in a variety of disease models and the application of MDSC-targeting molecules for immuno-oncologic therapy.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
• /
• v.43 no.5
• /
• pp.215-220
• /
• 2013

Purpose: Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor in periodontal diseases. The pathogenesis of periodontal diseases may be affected by alterations of the inflammatory response by smoke. Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous, colorless, highly reactive, short-lived free radical with a pivotal role in the regulation of various physiological and pathological mechanisms in the body. It is important in host defense and homeostasis, on the one hand, whereas, on the other hand, it modulates the inflammatory response in periodontitis, leading to harmful effects. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of NO in both the serum and saliva of smokers and nonsmokers having chronic periodontitis and to compare them with periodontally healthy controls. Methods: Sixty subjects participated in the study and were divided into three groups: group I, healthy nonsmoking subjects; group II, nonsmoking patients with chronic periodontitis; group III, smoking patients with chronic periodontitis. Each group consisted of twenty subjects. The biochemical estimation of NO in the collected serum and in the saliva was performed using the Griess colorimetric reaction. Results: The results showed that the mean value of the salivary and serum NO was greater in group II than in group I, and also greater in group III than in group II. Conclusions: NO appears to play an important and rather complex role in the immuno-inflammatory process and in the remodeling and maintenance of osseous structures. It is therefore logical that modulation of this mediator has potential for the treatment of a number of inflammatory conditions including periodontal disease.

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.9-16
• /
• 2010

We determined the effects of temperature shifts on the kinetics of the numbers of antibody-secreting cell (ASC) in the olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus immunised with formalin-killed Edwardsiella tarda. When fish that were acclimated to $22^{\circ}C$ and immunised at that temperature were transferred to a lower temperature ($12^{\circ}C$) at a various times (immediately, 1, 2 or 4 weeks) after immunisation, both further differentiation of B cells and secretion of antibody from the ASC developed at $22^{\circ}C$ were suppressed at $12^{\circ}C$. However, in the converse experiment ($12^{\circ}C$ to $22^{\circ}C$), the magnitude of the humoral immune response was recovered independent of the time of the transfer after immunisation at low temperature, even though the peak levels of each transferred group did not reach the level found in $22^{\circ}C$ control group. The results were confirmed by counting the number of specific antibody secreting cells (SASC) in the spleen. This study provides the evidences of the immune reaction that the potential for antibody production in B cells of flounder, the most important species in aquatic industry of Korea, immunized at high temperature is suppressed by subsequent exposure to low temperature and that low temperature-induced humoral immuno suppression can be reversed by exposure to a higher temperature.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.575-585
• /
• 2000

This study was performed to observe the influence of host immune response on the chemotherapy of mice experimentally infected with Fasciola hepatica. Following immunosuppression with prednisolone or immunoenhancement with Freund's complete adjuvant(FCA), mice were experimentally infected with 3 Fasciola hepatica metacercariae and treated with closantel at 1 week post infection. In the group of mice infected with metacercariae alone, 2 mice of 10 were dead at 10 weeks post infection(20% mortality), and adult flukes were recovered from the liver and the peritoneal cavity of the remaining 8 mice(100% infectivity). In the group of mice treated with prednisolone and infected with metacercariae, 8 of 10 mice died before euthanasia with a mean time of death earlier than the control group (p<0.05). In the group of immunosuppressed mice infected with metacercariae and treated with closantel 20mg/kg, 4 of 10 mice died before sacrifice. In the group of mice infected and treated with closantel 20mg/kg, mortality and infectivity was 10% and 30%, respectively. Similar results were observed in mice infected and treated with closantel 5mg/kg which resulted in 10% and 50% mortality and infectivity, respectively. These results indicated that the efficacy of closantel treatment was decreased in immunosuppressed mice, while the pathogenicity was increased. In immunoenhanced mice infected with metacercariae, on the other hand, the efficacy of chemotherapy with both 5mg/kg or 20mg/kg closantel resulted in only 10% infectivity. The results shown in this study strongly suggest that a close interaction between chemotherapy against F hepatica with closantel and the host immune system exists. Considering that fascioliasis is a zoonosis, treatment regimen against the infection to immunosuppressed patients may require a concurrent prescription of an appro-priate immuno-enhancing adjuvant.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.29-33
• /
• 2005

A DNA vaccine methodology using eukaryote expression vectors to produce immunizing proteins in the vaccinated hosts is a novel approach to the development of vaccine and immuno-therapeutics, and it has achieved considerable success over several infectious diseases and various cancers. To further enhance its efficiency, attempts were made to develop novel plasmid vectors containing multiple immunostimulatory CpG motifs, for rapid and strong immune response. First, a 2.9 kb compact plasmid vector (pVAC), containing CMV promoter, polycloning site, BGH poly(A) terminator, ampicillin resistance gene and pBR322 origin was constructed. A pVAC-hEPO was also constructed, which contained a human erythropoietin gene, for evaluating the transfection efficiency of naked plasmid DNA both in vitro and in vivo. To examine the adjuvant effect of multi-CpG motifs on naked plasmid DNA, 22 and 44 enriched and unmethylated CpG motifs were introduced into pVAC to generate pVAC-ISS1 and pVAC-ISS2, respectively. $100{\mu}g$ of pSecTagB, pVAC, pVAC-ISS1 or pVAC-ISS2 were each injected intramuscularly into the tibilias anterior muscle of Balb/c mice. The level of interleukin-6 induced in the mice injected with pVAC-ISS1 and pVAC-ISS2 were significantly elevated after 12 hours, which were almost 2 and 2.5 times higher than that in the mice injected with pSecTagB, respectively. These results suggest that DNA vaccine plasmids with enriched CpG motifs can induce rapid secretion of interleukin-6 by lymphocytes. In conclusion, these vectors can contribute to the development of adjuvant-free DNA vaccinations against infectious diseases and various cancers.