• 한국군사과학기술학회지
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.116-125
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• 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic is not over despite the emergency use authorization as can see recent COVID-19 daily confirmed cases. The viruses are not only difficult to diagnose and treat due to random mutations, but also pose threat human being because they have the potential to be exploited as biochemical weapons by genetic manipulation. Therefore, it is inevitable to the rapid antibody-based therapeutic platform to quickly respond to future pandemics by new/re-emerging viruses. Although numerous researches have been conducted for the fast development of antibody-based therapeutics, it is sometimes hard to respond rapidly to new viruses because of complicated expression or purification processes for antibody production. In this study, a novel rapid antibody-based therapeutic platform using single B cell sorting method and mRNA-antibody. High immunogenicity was caused to produce antibodies in vivo through mRNA-antigen inoculation. Subsequently, antigen-specific antibody candidates were selected and obtained using isolation of B cells containing antibody at the single cell level. Using the antibody-based therapeutic platform system in this study, it was confirmed that novel antigen-specific antibodies could be obtained in about 40 days, and suggested that the possibility of rapid response to new variant viruses.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.368-378
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• 2024

Cordycepin, a valuable bioactive component isolated from Cordyceps militaris, has been reported to possess anti-cancer potential and the property to enhance the effects of chemotherapeutic agents in various types of cancers. However, the ability of cordycepin to chemosensitize cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) cells to gemcitabine has not yet been evaluated. The current study was performed to evaluate the above, and the mechanisms associated with it. The study analyzed the effects of cordycepin in combination with gemcitabine on the cancer stem-like properties of the CCA SNU478 cell line, including its anti-apoptotic, migratory, and antioxidant effects. In addition, the combination of cordycepin and gemcitabine was evaluated in the CCA xenograft model. The cordycepin treatment significantly decreased SNU478 cell viability and, in combination with gemcitabine, additively reduced cell viability. The cordycepin and gemcitabine co-treatment significantly increased the Annexin V+ population and downregulated B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) expression, suggesting that the decreased cell viability in the cordycepin+gemcitabine group may result from an increase in apoptotic death. In addition, the cordycepin and gemcitabine co-treatment significantly reduced the migratory ability of SNU478 cells in the wound healing and trans-well migration assays. It was observed that the cordycepin and gemcitabine cotreatment reduced the CD44^highCD133^high population in SNU478 cells and the expression level of sex determining region Y-box 2 (Sox-2), indicating the downregulation of the cancer stem-like population. Cordycepin also enhanced oxidative damage mediated by gemcitabine in MitoSOX staining associated with the upregulated Kelch like ECH Associated Protein 1 (Keap1)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression ratio. In the SNU478 xenograft model, co-administration of cordycepin and gemcitabine additively delayed tumor growth. These results indicate that cordycepin potentiates the chemotherapeutic property of gemcitabine against CCA, which results from the downregulation of its cancer-stem-like properties. Hence, the combination therapy of cordycepin and gemcitabine may be a promising therapeutic strategy in the treatment of CCA.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.329-340
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• 2024

Mangiferin is a kind of natural xanthone glycosides and is known to have various pharmacological activities. However, since the beneficial efficacy of this compound has not been reported in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, this study aimed to evaluate whether mangiferin could protect human RPE ARPE-19 cells from oxidative injury mimicked by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The results showed that mangiferin attenuated H₂O₂-induced cell viability reduction and DNA damage, while inhibiting reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and preserving diminished glutathione (GSH). Mangiferin also antagonized H₂O₂-induced inhibition of the expression and activity of antioxidant enzymes such as manganese superoxide dismutase and GSH peroxidase, which was associated with inhibition of mitochondrial ROS production. In addition, mangiferin protected ARPE-19 cells from H₂O₂-induced apoptosis by increasing the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, decreasing caspase-3 activation, and blocking poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Moreover, mangiferin suppressed the release of cytochrome c into the cytosol, which was achieved by interfering with mitochondrial membrane disruption. Furthermore, mangiferin increased the expression and activity of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and nuclear factor-erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2). However, the inhibition of ROS production, cytoprotective and anti-apoptotic effects of mangiferin were significantly attenuated by the HO-1 inhibitor, indicating that mangiferin promoted Nrf2-mediated HO-1 activity to prevent ARPE-19 cells from oxidative injury. The results of this study suggest that mangiferin, as an Nrf2 activator, has potent ROS scavenging activity and may have the potential to protect oxidative stress-mediated ocular diseases.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.349-360
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• 2024

Oxidative stress contributes to the onset of chronic diseases in various organs, including muscles. Morroniside, a type of iridoid glycoside contained in Cornus officinalis, is reported to have advantages as a natural compound that prevents various diseases. However, the question of whether this phytochemical exerts any inhibitory effect against oxidative stress in muscle cells has not been well reported. Therefore, the current study aimed to evaluate whether morroniside can protect against oxidative damage induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in murine C2C12 myoblasts. Our results demonstrate that morroniside pretreatment was able to inhibit cytotoxicity while suppressing H₂O₂-induced DNA damage and apoptosis. Morroniside also significantly improved the antioxidant capacity in H₂O₂-challenged C2C12 cells by blocking the production of cellular reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial superoxide and increasing glutathione production. In addition, H₂O₂-induced mitochondrial damage and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress were effectively attenuated by morroniside pretreatment, inhibiting cytoplasmic leakage of cytochrome c and expression of ER stress-related proteins. Furthermore, morroniside neutralized H₂O₂-mediated calcium (Ca²⁺) overload in mitochondria and mitigated the expression of calpains, cytosolic Ca²⁺-dependent proteases. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that morroniside protected against mitochondrial impairment and Ca²⁺-mediated ER stress by minimizing oxidative stress, thereby inhibiting H₂O₂-induced cytotoxicity in C2C12 myoblasts.

• 경영정보학연구
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.21-37
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• 2022

신약을 개발하는 한 가지 방법의 하나인 신약 재창출(Drug Repositioning)은 이미 사람들에게 사용할 수 있도록 승인된 약물들이 다른 용도로 사용되도록 하여 새로운 적응증을 발견하는 유용한 방법이다. 최근에는 머신러닝 기술의 발달로 방대한 생물학적 정보를 분석하여 신약 개발에 활용하는 경우가 증가하고 있다. 신약 재창출에 머신러닝 기술을 활용하면 효과적인 치료법을 신속하게 찾아내는 데 도움을 줄 것이다. 현재 심각한 급성 호흡기 증후군인 코로나바이러스(COVID-19)에 의한 신종 질병으로 전 세계가 힘든 시간을 보내고 있다. 이미 임상적으로 승인된 약물의 용도를 변경하는 신약 재창출은 COVID-19 환자를 치료하기 위한 치료제의 대안이 될 수 있다. 본 연구는 머신러닝 기법을 활용하여 신약 재창출 분야에 대한 연구 동향을 살펴보고자 한다. Pub Med에서 웹 스크래핑 기법을 사용하여 'Drug Repositioning'이라는 키워드로 총 4,821건의 논문을 수집하였다. 데이터 전처리 후, 4,419건의 논문을 대상으로 빈도분석, LDA 기반 토픽모델링, Random Forest 분류 분석 및 예측 성능평가를 수행하였다. Word2vec 모델을 기반으로 연관어를 분석하였고, PCA 차원 축소 후 K-Means 군집화하여 레이블을 생성한 후, t-SNE 알고리즘을 이용하여 논문이 형성하고 있는 그룹을 시각화하고, LDA 결과에 계층적 군집화를 적용하여 히트맵으로 시각화하였다. 본 연구는 신약 재창출과 관련된 연구 주제가 무엇인지를 파악하고, 머신러닝 알고리즘을 사용하여 대량의 문헌에서 의미 있는 주제를 도출하고 시각화하는 방법을 제시하였다. 향후 신약 재창출 분야의 연구나 개발 전략을 수립하기 위한 기초자료로 활용되는 데 도움을 줄 것이라고 기대한다.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.366-375
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• 2021

Objective: To evaluate the radiological tumor response patterns and compare the response assessments based on immune-based therapeutics Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (iRECIST) and RECIST 1.1 in metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC) patients treated with programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors. Materials and Methods: All mccRCC patients treated with PD-1 inhibitors at Henan Cancer Hospital, China, between January 2018 and April 2019, were retrospectively studied. A total of 30 mccRCC patients (20 males and 10 females; mean age, 55.6 years; age range, 37-79 years) were analyzed. The target lesions were quantified on consecutive CT scans during therapy using iRECIST and RECIST 1.1. The tumor growth rate was calculated before and after therapy initiation. The response patterns were analyzed, and the differences in tumor response assessments of the two criteria were compared. The intra- and inter-observer variabilities of iRECIST and RECIST 1.1 were also analyzed. Results: The objective response rate throughout therapy was 50% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 32.1-67.9) based on iRECIST and 30% (95% CI: 13.6-46.4) based on RECIST 1.1. The time-to-progression (TTP) based on iRECIST was longer than that based on RECIST 1.1 (median TTP: not reached vs. 170 days, p = 0.04). iRECIST and RECIST 1.1 were discordant in 8 cases, which were evaluated as immune-unconfirmed PD based on iRECIST and PD based on RECIST 1.1. Six patients (20%, 6/30) had pseudoprogression based on iRECIST, of which four demonstrated early pseudoprogression and two had delayed pseudoprogression. Significant differences in the tumor response assessments based on the two criteria were observed (p < 0.001). No patients demonstrated hyperprogression during the study period. Conclusion: Our study confirmed that the iRECIST criteria are more capable of capturing immune-related atypical responses during immunotherapy, whereas conventional RECIST 1.1 may underestimate the benefit of PD-1 inhibitors. Pseudoprogression is not rare in mccRCC patients during PD-1 inhibitor therapy, and it may last for more than the recommended maximum of 8 weeks, indicating a limitation of the current strategy for immune response monitoring.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.34.1-34.16
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• 2021

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by dryness of the mouth and eyes. The glandular dysfunction in SS involves not only T cell-mediated destruction of the glands but also autoantibodies against the type 3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor or aquaporin 5 (AQP5) that interfere with the secretion process. Studies on the breakage of tolerance and induction of autoantibodies to these autoantigens could benefit SS patients. To break tolerance, we utilized a PmE-L peptide derived from the AQP5-homologous aquaporin of Prevotella melaninogenica (PmAqp) that contained both a B cell "E" epitope and a T cell epitope. Repeated subcutaneous immunization of C57BL/6 mice with the PmE-L peptide efficiently induced the production of Abs against the "E" epitope of mouse/human AQP5 (AQP5E), and we aimed to characterize the antigen specificity, the sequences of AQP5E-specific B cell receptors, and salivary gland phenotypes of these mice. Sera containing anti-AQP5E IgG not only stained mouse Aqp5 expressed in the submandibular glands but also detected PmApq and PmE-L by immunoblotting, suggesting molecular mimicry. Characterization of the AQP5E-specific autoantibodies selected from the screening of phage display Ab libraries and mapping of the B cell receptor repertoires revealed that the AQP5E-specific B cells acquired the ability to bind to the Ag through cumulative somatic hypermutation. Importantly, animals with anti-AQP5E Abs had decreased salivary flow rates without immune cell infiltration into the salivary glands. This model will be useful for investigating the role of anti-AQP5 autoantibodies in glandular dysfunction in SS and testing new therapeutics targeting autoantibody production.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.514-521
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• 2007

교감신경차단은 지배영역에 대한 혈류를 증가시킨다. 이러한 이유로, 교감신경차단은 신경학적 질병이나 뇌질환 등에 시술되어 왔다. 그러나, 개에서 앞쪽목신경절 차단에 의한 뇌혈류의 조절은 잘 알려져 있지 않으며 뇌 순환의 변화와 뇌파의 변화에 대한 상관관계는 아직까지 개에서 잘 정의되어 있지 않다. 그래서, 우리는 뇌파의 변화는 개에서 앞쪽목신경절 차단에 의한 뇌혈류의 변화에 영향을 받을 수 있을 거라는 가설을 검증하였다. 25두의 비글견을 3개의 군으로 나누었다. I군(LCCGB, n=10)은 1% lidocaine을 이용하여 좌측 앞쪽목신경절을 차단하였다. II군(L, n=10)은 1% lidocaine을 좌 우측 두힘살근 내에 주입하였다. III군(N/SCCGB, n=5, 대조군)은 좌측 앞쪽목신경절을 생리식염수를 이용하여 차단하였다. 95% SEF와 MF에서는 대조군과 LCCGB군에서 통계적 차이가 없었다. 상대적 주파수 영역에서는 $\delta$ 주파수는 5-25분 사이에 감소하였으며, $\alpha$ 주파수는 같은 시간 동안 증가 하였다(p<0.05). 그러나, $\theta$ 주파수와 $\beta$ 주파수는 같은 시간대 대조군에 비해 유의한 변화를 보이지 않았다(p<0.05). 이러한 결과는 좌측 앞쪽목신경절 차단은 뇌혈류의 변화를 유발하지 못하며 그 자체의 효과는 불확실 하다는 것을 제시한다.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.265-273
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• 2018

에스트로겐(E2)은 유방암의 발달과 진행에 관여하며, 에스트로겐 수용체(ER)에 의해 매개된다. ER은 유방암세포에서 epidermal growth factor receptor와 insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor의 신호전달경로들 사이에서 다양한 cross-talk을 통하여 세포의 증식, 이주, 침습 및 약물에 대한 저항성을 일으키는데 중요한 역할을 수행한다. 유방암은 내분비신호전달의 항상성 붕괴에 의해 주로 발생되며, 특히 E2/IGF-1/EGF와 ER/G-protein estrogen receptor (GPER)/IGF-1R/EGFR, 그리고 이들의 세포내 신호전달 매개인자들의 통제되지 않는 발현과 활성증가에 의해 유발된다. 이러한 변화는 E2와 성장인자 신호전달 사이의 복잡한 cross-talk에 영향을 주어 결국 암의 진행과 내분비조절인자들에 대한 저항성을 갖게 된다. 따라서, E2와 성장인자들 사이의 cross-talk에 관한 분자적 기전을 단계별로 규명하는 것은 유방암의 다양한 유형에 따른 맞춤형 치료에 기여할 것으로 사료된다. 특히, 다양한 유전형 및 표현형을 가진 유방암의 치료를 위한 전략으로서, ER+ 호르몬의존성 유방암세포에 대한 aromatase 억제제 및 E2작용 차단제의 사용과 E2와 성장인자들 사이의 cross-talk에 의한 암세포의 증식억제를 위한 IGF-1R/EGFR 활성차단제의 사용 등을 들 수 있다. 뿐만 아니라, ER과 EGFR/IGF-1R 사이의 cross-talk에 의해 조절되는 ECM 분자들의 발현변화는 유방암세포의 전이에 대한 표적치료제를 위해 활용될 수 있다. 따라서, 암의 진행과 관련된 ER, GPER, IGF-1R 및 EGFR 매개에 의한 신호전달경로들 사이의 cross-talk에 관한 보다 더 자세한 분자적 수준의 규명이 필요할 것으로 사료된다.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.301-317
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• 2005

전 세계적으로 구강암의 빈도는 점점 증가 추세이며, 특히 한국인의 있어 혀(tongue)는 구강암이 가장 호발하는 장소이다. 구강암은 발암 단계에서부터 과증식 병소(hyperplastic lesion), 이형성(dysplasia) 및 상피내암(carcinoma in situ) 을 거쳐 악성 암종으로 발전하는 다단계 발암과정을 보이며, 분자 생물학적 변이가 구강암을 진행시킴이 널리 알려져 있다. 또한, 구강암은 일반적으로 암세포의 증식 및 고사(apoptosis)의 억제가 중요한 역할을 하고 있다 알려져 있다. 그리고, Bcl-2 family 는 세포 고사에 주요한 역할을 하고 있음이 알려져 있다. 그러나, 이들과 관련한 구강암 발생과정의 변화에 대해서는 널리 연구된 바가 없다. 본 연구는 백서에서 발암 물질인 4-NQO로 구강암을 유도시키고, 구강암 발생 다단계별로 Bcl-2 family의 mRNA 변화를 RT-PCR을 이용해 살펴보았다. Bcl-2 family는 크게 3군, 즉 1) anti-apoptotic, 2) pro-apoptotic, 그리고 3) BH3 only protein으로 분류할 수 있으며, 본 연구에서 anti-apoptotic molecules인 Bcl-w는 모든 군에서 발현이 감소되었으며, Bcl-2는 발현이 증가 되었다. pro-apoptotic molecules에서는 Bad가 제 3군 (편평세포암종)에서 발현이 증가 되었고, 나머지는 감소하였다. BH-3 only protein에서는 Bmf가 제 2군에서, BBC3가 제 3군에서 발현이 증가하였고, 나머지는 모든 군에서 감소하였다. 결론적으로, 4-NQO로 유도된 백서의 발암단계에서, Bcl-2 family의 mRNA 양상은 다양하게 관찰되었으나, Bad 및 BBC3 mRNA가 제 3군에서, Bmf mRNA가 제 2군에서의 발현이 특별함을 알 수 있어, 다단계 발암과정에서의 구강암을 진단하는데 유용하리라 사료된다.