• The Journal of the Society of Korean Medicine Diagnostics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2018

Objectives The incidence of degenerative diseases is increasing as society ages, and this increased the economic burden on society. Oxidative stress was also under suspicion as one of the causes. Recent studies have found that Curcuma longa Rhizoma had antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, and anticancer effects. Through this study, we figure out trends in Curcuma longa Rhizoma research and evaluate the therapeutic potential of Curcuma longa Rhizoma for dementia. Methods The search was made using domestic and international internet search sites. "Naver academic," "Google scholar," "Korea institute of oriental medicine (KIOM OASIS)," "Korean traditional knowledge portal (KTKP)," "Library of Congress," "Research information sharing service (RISS)," "National Digital Science Links (NDSL)," and "Pub med" are used to search. The searched for words were "turmeric," "Curcuma longa Rhizoma," "antioxidant," and "nerve regeneration." Results It could be seen that a lot of research done on Curcuma longa recently. In previous studies, the most common research disease was cancer. In previous studies, the most common effects of Curcuma longa was antioxidant and anticancer. Curcumin, Vitamin B1, and various essential oils were the functional components of Curcuma longa Rhizoma. Curcuma longa Rhizoma performs DPPH radical scavenging activity and ABTS radical cation decolorization activity; it inhibits NO and iNOS. Conclusion The destruction of nerve cells due to oxidative stress is a cause of dementia. Curcuma longa Rhizoma have antioxidant effects. Therefore, we believed that it is an effective treatment for dementia. Various studies will be made on Curcuma longa Rhizoma.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.173-178
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• 2014

There is rapidly growing interest in the human microbiome because of its implication in metabolic disorders and inflammatory diseases. Consequently, understanding the biology of short chain fatty acids and their receptors has become very important for identifying novel therapeutic avenues. GPR41 and GPR43 have been recognized as the cognate receptors for SCFAs and their roles in metabolism and inflammation have drawn much attention in recent years. GPR43 is highly expressed on immune cells and has been suggested to play a role in inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease. Both GPR41 and GPR43 have been implicated in diabetes and obesity via the regulation of adipose tissue and gastrointestinal hormones. So far, many studies have provided contradictory results, and therefore further research is required to validate these receptors as drug targets. We will also discuss the synthetic modulators of GPR41 and GPR43 that are critical to understanding the functions of these receptors.

• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.345-354
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• 2017

Autophagy, a catabolic process necessary for the maintenance of intracellular homeostasis, has recently been the focus of numerous human diseases and conditions, such as aging, cancer, development, immunity, longevity, and neurodegeneration. However, the continued presence of autophagy is essential for cell survival and dysfunctional autophagy is thought to speed up the progression of neurodegeneration. The actual molecular mechanism behind the progression of dysfunctional autophagy is not yet fully understood. Emerging evidence suggests that basal autophagy is necessary for the removal of misfolded, aggregated proteins and damaged cellular organelles through lysosomal mediated degradation. Physiologically, neurodegenerative disorders are related to the accumulation of amyloid ${\beta}$ peptide and ${\alpha}-synuclein$ protein aggregation, as seen in patients with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, respectively. Even though autophagy could impact several facets of human biology and disease, it generally functions as a clearance for toxic proteins in the brain, which contributes novel insight into the pathophysiological understanding of neurodegenerative disorders. In particular, several studies demonstrate that natural compounds or small molecule autophagy enhancer stimuli are essential in the clearance of amyloid ${\beta}$ and ${\alpha}-synuclein$ deposits. Therefore, this review briefly deliberates on the recent implications of autophagy in neurodegenerative disorder control, and emphasizes the opportunities and potential therapeutic application of applied autophagy.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2013

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of therapeutic ultrasound (US) of cell viability and inflammatory cytokine in rat articular chondrocyte cultures stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Design: One group pretest-posttest design. Methods: Cultured chondrocytes were treated with US and/or LPS and assessed for viability, Tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$ and Interleukin (IL)-1 production. Results: Oxidative stress was induced in rat chondrocytes with LPS. The cell viability was decreased in chondrocytes after treatment with LPS. The viability revealed that low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) exerted no significant cytotoxicity in the rat chondrocyte. LIPUS inhibited decreased cell viability in the presence of LPS ($30{\mu}g/ml$) in a intensity dependent pattern at LIPUS (p<0.05). $TNF-{\alpha}$ production in the presence of LPS was also inhibited in a dose dependent manner (p<0.05 from $30mW/cm^2$). IL-1 production in the presence of LPS was inhibited as well (p<0.05 from $7.5mW/cm^2$). Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that US was the anti-inflammatory effect of chondrocytes. LIPUS may exert its anti inflammatory effects through inhibition of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-1 synthesis. These results suggest that US have potential for use as a pain relief and reduce the articular destruction.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.8
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• pp.598-605
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• 2017

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are currently being evaluated as a cell-based therapy for tissue injury and degenerative diseases. Recently, several methods have been suggested to further enhance the therapeutic functions of MSCs, including genetic modifications with tissue- and/or diseasespecific genes. The objective of this study was to examine the efficiency and stability of transduction using an adenoviral vector in human MSCs. Additionally, we aimed to assess the effects of transduction on the proliferation and multipotency of MSCs. The results indicate that MSCs can be transduced by adenoviruses in vitro, but high viral titers are necessary to achieve high efficiency. In addition, transduction at a higher multiplicity of infection (MOI) was associated with attenuated proliferation and senescence-like morphology. Furthermore, transduced MSCs showed a diminished capacity for adipogenic differentiation while retaining their potential to differentiate into osteocytes and chondrocytes. This work could contribute significantly to clinical trials of MSCs modified with therapeutic genes.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.381-389
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• 2018

ARF is a tumor suppressor protein that has a pivotal role in the prevention of cancer development through regulating cell proliferation, senescence, and apoptosis. As a factor that induces senescence, the role of ARF as a tumor suppressor is closely linked to the p53-MDM2 axis, which is a key process that restrains tumor formation. Thus, many cancer cells either lack a functional ARF or p53, which enables them to evade cell oncogenic stress-mediated cycle arrest, senescence, or apoptosis. In particular, the ARF gene is a frequent target of genetic and epigenetic alterations including promoter hyper-methylation or gene deletion. However, as many cancer cells still express ARF, pathways that negatively modulate transcriptional or post-translational regulation of ARF could be potentially important means for cancer cells to induce cellular proliferation. These recent findings of regulators affecting ARF protein stability along with its low levels in numerous human cancers indicate the significance of an ARF post-translational mechanism in cancers. Novel findings of regulators stimulating or suppressing ARF function would provide new therapeutic targets to manage cancer- and senescence-related diseases. In this review, we present the current knowledge on the regulation and alterations of ARF expression in human cancers, and indicate the importance of regulators of ARF as a prognostic marker and in potential therapeutic strategies.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2005

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. Neovastat, having significant antitumor and antimetastatic properties, is classified as a naturally occurring multifunctional antiangiogenic agent. We evaluated the therapeutic effect of Neovastat on airway inflammation in a mouse model of asthma. BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously with ovalbumin (OVA) on days 0, 7, 14, and 21 and challenged with inhaled OVA on days 26, 29, and 31. Neovastat was administrated by gavage (5 mg/kg body weight) three times with 12 h intervals, beginning 30 min before OVA inhalation. On day 32, mice were challenged with inhaled methacholine, and enhanced pause (Penh) was measured as an index of airway hyperresponsiveness. The severity of airway inflammation was determined by differential cell count of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. The MMP-9 concentration in BAL fluid samples was measured by ELISA, and MMP-9 activity was measured by zymography. The untreated asthma group showed an increased inflammatory cell count in BAL fluid and Penh value compared with the normal control group. Mice treated with Neovastat had significantly reduced Penh values and inflammatory cell counts in BAL fluid compared with untreated asthmatic mice. Furthermore, mice treated with Neovastat showed significantly reduced MMP-9 concentrations and activity in BAL fluid. These results demonstrate that Neovastat might have new therapeutic potential for airway asthmatic inflammation.

• CELLMED
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.5.1-5.9
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• 2019

The therapeutic use of the wormwood plant Artemisia absinthium L. dates back to at least Roman times. There are more than 200 plants in the genus Artemisia- including southern wormwood, petite wormwood and Grande wormwood and encompasses about 500 species. The best-known species of wormwood is Artemisia absinthium, native to temperate Eurasia and North Africa and is branded for its extreme bitterness. It is a magical greens booze used as carminative to support healthy appetite, balances healthy flora, cleanse the digestive tract of parasite and toxins. It possesses anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, anti-helminthic and anti-depressant activity. Thujone excites nervous system when taken in small amount. Due to contrary history of wormwood, its application in individuals should be preceded by a thorough and cautious risk-benefit analysis. In this appraisal an attempt is done to validate scientifically, mentioned therapeutic potential of Artemisia absinthium in classical Unani literature using PubMed, Science Direct researches.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.571-581
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• 2021

Towards the end of 2019, an atypical acute respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in Wuhan, China and subsequently named Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The rapid dissemination of COVID-19 has provoked a global crisis in public health. COVID-19 has been reported to cause sepsis, severe infections in the respiratory tract, multiple organ failure, and pulmonary fibrosis, all of which might induce mortality. Although several vaccines for COVID-19 are currently being administered worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet effectively under control. Therefore, novel therapeutic agents to eradicate the cause of the disease and/or manage the clinical symptoms of COVID-19 should be developed to effectively regulate the current pandemic. In this review, we discuss the possibility of managing the clinical symptoms of COVID-19 using natural products derived from medicinal plants used for controlling pulmonary inflammatory diseases in folk medicine. Diverse natural products have been reported to exert potential antiviral effects in vitro by affecting viral replication, entry into host cells, assembly in host cells, and release. However, the in vivo antiviral effects and clinical antiviral efficacies of these natural products against SARS-CoV-2 have not been successfully proven to date. Thus, these properties need to be elucidated through further investigations, including randomized clinical trials, in order to develop optimal and ideal therapeutic candidates for COVID-19.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.62 no.6
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• pp.199-205
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• 2019

Although Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) has been generally susceptible to macrolides, the emergence of macrolide-resistant MPP (MRMP) has made its treatment challenging. MRMP rapidly spread after the 2000s, especially in East Asia. MRMP is more common in children and adolescents than in adults, which is likely related to the frequent use of macrolides for treating M. pneumoniae infections in children. MRMP is unlikely to be related to clinical, laboratory, or radiological severity, although it likely prolongs the persistence of symptoms and the length of hospital stay. Thereby, it causes an increased burden of the disease and poor quality of life for the patient as well as a societal socioeconomic burden. To date, the only alternative treatments for MRMP are secondary antimicrobials such as tetracyclines (TCs) or fluoroquinolones (FQs) or systemic corticosteroids; however, the former are contraindicated in children because of concerns about potential adverse events (i.e., tooth discoloration or tendinopathy). A few guidelines recommended TCs or FQs as the second-line drug of choice for treating MRMP. However, there have been no evidence-based guidelines. Furthermore, safety issues have not yet been resolved. Therefore, this article aimed to review the benefits and risks of therapeutic alternatives for treating MRMP in children and review the recommendations of international or regional guidelines and specific considerations for their practical application.