• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.662-671
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• 2023

Background: 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD), a ginsenoside metabolite, has prominent benefits for the central nervous system, especially in improving learning and memory. However, its transcriptional targets in brain tissue remain unknown. Methods: In this study, we first used mass spectrometry-based drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) to identify the potential proteins of ginsenosides and intersected them with the transcription factor library. Second, the transcription factor PURA was confirmed as a target of PPD by biolayer interferometry (BLI) and molecular docking. Next, the effect of PPD on the transcriptional levels of target genes of PURA in brain tissues was determined by qRT-PCR. Finally, bioinformatics analysis was used to analyze the potential biological features of these target proteins. Results: The results showed three overlapping transcription factors between the proteomics of DARTS and transcription factor library. BLI analysis further showed that PPD had a higher direct interaction with PURA than parent ginsenosides. Subsequently, BLI kinetic analysis, molecular docking, and mutations in key amino acids of PURA indicated that PPD specifically bound to PURA. The results of qRT-PCR showed that PPD could increase the transcription levels of PURA target genes in brain. Finally, bioinformatics analysis showed that these target proteins were involved in learning and memory function. Conclusion: The above-mentioned findings indicate that PURA is a transcription target of PPD in brain, and PPD upregulate the transcription levels of target genes related to cognitive dysfunction by binding PURA, which could provide a chemical and biological basis for the study of treating cognitive impairment by targeting PURA.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2020

This review examined recently published (July 2014 to June 2017), randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which investigated the safety and effectiveness of combined Korean medicine/complementary alternative medicine (CAM) and Western medicine, to indicate the direction for integrative medical practice. The Korean Medicine Convergence Research Information Center evidence-based medicine database (KMCRIC EBM DB) was used to retrieve relevant RCTs indexed in the last 3 years. Study design, country, sample size, disease/condition with the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases code, interventions, direction of outcomes, and adverse events were extracted and summarized. A total of 93 RCTs were included in this review. Acupuncture/moxibustion was the most commonly used intervention (n = 47; 51%), and 19% (n = 18) of the studies treated musculoskeletal disorders, followed by circulatory disorders (n = 16; 17%), and mental and behavioral disorders (n = 9; 10%). Integrative treatment was reported as more effective than monotherapy in approximately 83% of these studies. Adverse events were poorly reported in most studies. This review suggests that integrative treatments are feasible, effective, and safe for various diseases/conditions, based on the evidence from recently published RCTs. Future studies on integrative healthcare are warranted.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.43-58
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• 2005

Internationally, many countries are facing the demand for reshaping health care systems to cope with rapid changing circumstances in health care sector. The recent growth of oriental medicine and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the many countries is, to a large extent, due to the growth of the number of oriental medical doctors and physicians who have taken up alternative therapies alongside conventional medicine. To cope with the changing environments, many countries consider to develop integrative health care which is now used widely in health care sector. In both biomedical and CAM sectors(including oriental medicine), attention appears to have shifted away from separating therapeutic modalities into categories such as biomedical or CAM, towards a focus on merging diverse modalities into a 'new' integrative health system. In Korea, one of peculiar characteristics of health care system is that as health care provider, Hanbang medicine (traditional Korean medicine) and (western) medicine coexist since 19 century. Recently, the government of Korea has given many efforts to enhance the role and function of traditional Korean medicine in health care sector. However, the strategies and measures for integrative health care settings combining traditional Korean medicine and western medicine on health sector have not been developed yet. The research question of this study is In Korea, what are the trends and problems in interface of traditional Korean medical sector and Western medical sector; what are the causes of or associated factors to the problems; how to cope with the problems and how to resolve the causes?; what are the health policy directions and its strategies that the government should take to cope with the future demand and the burden on health care sector? In order to do this, this study explores the current situations and issues on the interface between traditional Korean medicine and (western) medicine in various ways using contents analysis of existing data and documents related to traditional Korean medicine and health policy. Finally, we discussed stakeholders' views on the interface in the health care sector. Then, health policy options to have shifted away from separating therapeutic modalities into categories such as 'traditional Korean medicine' or 'western medicine', towards a focus on merging diverse modalities into a 'new' integrative health system.

• Journal of Breast Cancer
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.391-398
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• 2018

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of telomere length with breast cancer risk. We simultaneously explored the association between telomerase reverse transcriptase gene polymorphisms and telomere length. Methods: We used real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction to measure relative telomere length (RTL) in genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood from 183 breast cancer cases and 191 healthy controls. Genotyping was performed using the Sequenom MassARRAY platform. Results: Our results show that breast cancer patients had significantly shorter RTLs than control subjects (p<0.05). When the RTLs were categorized into tertiles, we found that the lowest RTL was significantly associated with increased breast cancer risk compared with the highest RTL (odds ratio [OR], 2.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.40-3.90; p=0.001). Subgroup analyses indicated that risk of breast cancer was also significantly increased in the lowest RTL compared with the highest RTL in age >40 years (OR, 2.41; 95% CI, 1.31-4.43;p=0.005), body mass index ${\leq}24kg/m^2$ (OR, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.55-5.10; p=0.001), and postmenopausal women (OR, 3.94; 95% CI, 1.63-9.51; p=0.002), respectively. In addition, individuals with the AA genotype of rs2853677 have longer telomeres than those of breast cancer patients with the AG genotype (p=0.011). Conclusion: Our results suggest that shorter RTL was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. An association was found between the AA genotype of rs2853677 and longer RTLs in the case group. Functional studies are warranted to validate this association and further investigate our findings.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.211-218
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to show the clinical effects of integrative oriental medical treatments for femur pain and disfunction after hip fracture surgery. Methods : Two patients were treated using acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, herbal medication and other oriental medical treatments include moxibustion, cupping therapy, physical rehabilitation for 2~3 months. And the effects of these integrative treatments were measured with numeric rating scale(NRS) and functional recovery score(FRS). Results : NRS of femur pain was decreased from 8 to 4~5 in case 1 and from 6 to 4 in case 2. FRS was improved in both cases. Conclusions : Integrative oriental medical treatments maybe effective to the patients complaining pain and functional limitations after hip fracture surgery.

• Integrative Medicine Research
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.223-223
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• 2016

Background: Korean Red Ginseng (Panax ginseng) has been shown to exert antihypertensive effects. In particular, ginsenoside Rg3 is thought to be a potent modulator of vascular function. The present study was performed to examine the antihypertensive efficacy of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) extract and Rg3-enriched KRG (REKRG) extract. Methods: Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) andWistar-Kyoto rats (WKYs) were divided into six groups (WKY control, WKY-KRG, WKY-REKRG, SHR control, SHR-KRG, and SHRREKRG), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured at the carotid artery, followed by injection of 3mg/kg KRG or 3mg/kg REKRG. Results: REKRG treatment significantly decreased SBP and DBP 3hours post-treatment in the SHR group compared with SHR control group. However, SBP and DBP were not significantly different in KRG-treated SHRs compared with control SHRs. REKRG treatment did not significantly alter SBP or DBP 3hours post-treatment in the WKY group compared with WKY control group. Similarly, there were no differences in SBP or DBP with KRG treatment in the WKY group and WKY control group. Both KRG and REKRG increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase phosphorylation levels in the aorta, and the increases in endothelial nitric oxide synthase phosphorylation levels by REKRG treatment were higher than those with KRG treatment. Similarly, nitric oxide production in plasma from WKYs and SHRs was also increased by both KRG and REKRG. Conclusion: These results suggest that REKRG has a more beneficial effect on blood pressure control than KRG in SHRs.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.239-248
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• 2019

There are no published data on Gyeongokgo (GOK) safety or efficacy despite being commonly use. The Gyeongokgo (GOK) is commonly used in traditional Korean medicine to promote a health qi and blood, but their objective data was not sufficient in clinical field. To investigate the safety and efficacy of GOK with hematologic and serologic testing and the change of the quality of life in healthy individuals. Randomized, subject-assessor-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center pilot study Participants and Interventions 29 healthy volunteer subjects were randomly placed into the GOK group (n = 20) or placebo control group (n = 9) and instructed to take one treatment packet (GOK or placebo) twice daily for 4 weeks. Subjects were assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) and underwent hematologic and serologic tests and body composition analysis. The FSS total score (p = 0.093) and SF-36 general health index (p = 0.002) were improved following treatment in the GOK group. Post-treatment thyroid-stimulating hormone levels were increased in the GOK group compared with pre-treatment levels (p = 0.0042). C-reactive protein levels decreased (p = 0.0256) in the GOK group compared with that the placebo group. In time-series tests, GOK did not affect post-prandial serum triglycerides, glucose, insulin, or C-peptide levels. Notably, elevations in serum fasting triglycerides at 2- (p = 0.0333) and 4-hours (p = 0.0414) post-prandial were lower than those in the placebo group. GOK reduced fatigue levels and did not significantly affect laboratory test results performed to measure safety, serum glucose, and lipid profiles. Post-meal triglyceride levels were effectively reduced with treatment.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.37-50
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• 2016

Ovarian cancer is the tenth most common cancer in Korean female, and the third most common cancer of female reproductive organ after breast cancer and uterine cervical cancer. In spite of develop of conventional treatment, high modality of ovarian cancer comes from difficulty of an early diagnosis. Recent studies revealed that combining conventional and integrative medical treatment can reduce the adverse effect of surgical operation, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Also it can improve survival rate, quality of life. However there isn't still a systemic clinical protocol for ovarian cancer in Korean medicine. This study will be helpful to establish clinical practice guidelines of Korean Medicine for ovarian cancer. And further studies on integrative ovarian cancer treatment are needed to build the clinical practice guidelines of ovarian cancer.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.13-24
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to report the effect of Korean Herbal Medicine (KHM) on a Renal Cell Carcinoma with multiple liver metastases patient. Methods: One renal cell carcinoma with multiple liver metastases patient was treated by KHM in conjunction with targeted anticancer agent (Afinitor). The effect of KHM was measured by scanning with Computed Tomography (CT), Blood Test, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scale. Results: Multiple hepatic tumors were reduced after the treatment during 5 months (Partial Remission, PR). As treatment was performed, complications induced by targeted anticancer agent (Afinitor) were alleviated. Conclusions: This case provides us a possibility that Korean Herbal Medicine offers potential benefits for renal cell carcinoma with multiple liver metastases patient.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2014

This report is aimed to investigate the effect of Integrative Medicine Therapy (IMT) in treating breast cancer metastasized to several portion. A 55-year-old woman who was diagnosed breast cancer and treated by breast conservation surgery (BCS) IN 2002. (pT2M0N0), adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy till Jan. in 2013. But cancer had metastasized to sacrum (2009), liver (2012) and ribs (2013). Finally cause of several side effects of Xeloda(neuralgia and vommiting), she gave up to be treated by Xeloda and started to receive IMT including Abnoba Viscum, Vitamin C therapy Xeloda again, Korean herbal medicine and pharmacopuncture from Jul. in 2013. The effect was evaluated with Positron Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography (PET-CT) and Abdomen Computed Tomography (CT). The metastatic tumor in liver was disappeared and cancers to ribs, their size decreased after 12 months and pain of sacrum maintained VAS 2 continually. These results suggest that IMT is a therapeutic method to treat metastatic tumor originated from breast cancer.