• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.1-5
• /
• 2002

Estimated number of adults and children newly infected with HIV-1 during 2001 alone is 5 million in total. An effective vaccine, in addition to education & public health approaches, has been believed to be the best option to stop the HIV-1 transmission, especially for developing countries. Among AIDS vaccine candidates, DNA vaccine is relatively safe and, in a certain extent, mimics some attributes of live attenuated vaccine, with regard to in vivo gene expression & the type of immunity induced. We recently demonstrated that DNA vaccines expressing SIVmac239 structural and regulatory genes, augmented with coadministration of IL-12 mutant induced the strongest T cell responses, resulting in low to undetectable setpoint viral loads, stable $CD4^+$ T cell counts, and no evidence of clinical diseases or mortality by day 420 after challenge. This finding is the second demonstration, following the protective result of live attenuated SIV vaccine in SIVmac-rhesus monkey model, which was known to have safety problem. So, our DNA vaccines could give a significant impact on HIV-1 epidemic by slowing or stopping the spread of HIV-1, leading to eventual eradication of HIV-1 and AIDS in the population.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.27 no.7
• /
• pp.776-780
• /
• 2004

Interferons are cytokines that confer resistance to viral infection and inhibit cellular proliferation. The interferon alpha gene from human blood samples was amplified, cloned and expressed in E. coli (BL21). Leukocyte chromosomal DNA was used as a source of template DNA. Using specific primers, the gene for HulFN$\{alpha}$-2b was amplified and inserted into the E. coli vector, pET21b, by ligation of the HindIII and BamHI linkers of the vector and insert. The insert was further analyzed by PCR, DNA restriction mapping and sequencing, and expressed in a suitable E. coli strain. The production of this important cellular protein in the laboratory has significant applications in production of the recombinant pharmaceutical proteins.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
• /
• 2003.08a
• /
• pp.68-68
• /
• 2003

No Abstract, See Full Text

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.77-90
• /
• 1996

Nucleocapsid protein (NP)which exists in the particle of hantavirus and surrounds the viral RNA genome is one of the major structural proteins and plays role of antigen to elicit the antibody detected predorminantly right after infection of the virus in the patients of hemorragic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS)or experimental animals. NP is important target antigen in serological diagnostic system of HFRS utilizing whole antigens from the native virus particle, such as IFA, ELISA and Western blotting. Therefore, the preparation of this protein in the level of higher quantity and purity is desirasble for developed dianosis of the disease. The purpose of this study is the cloning of NP gene which exists in the S genome segment of Maaji (MAA) virus and expression of the gene to obtain qualified, genetically engineered NP to be utilized as an immunodiagnostic antigen. First of all, for the purpose of amplifing the MAA-NP gene by PCR, the specific primers were built from the known nucleotide sequence of Hantaan viral NP gene. The viral cDNA of the NP gene was synthesized by using the primers and RNase $H^-$ AMV reverse transcriptase. Thereafter, using this cDNA as a template, the NP gene was amplified specifically by Taq DNA polymrerase. The pT7blue (R)T-overhang vector systems were used for cloning of the amplified NP gene. The expression system was consisted of BL21 (DE3)pLysS and pET16b as a host and a plasmid repectively. Into Ndel site of pET16b, NP gene was ligated with cohesive end for the expression. Insertion of NP gene in the plasmid was confirmed by PCR and mini prep methods. For expression, IPTG was used and the expressed protein was characterized by Western blotting. The MAA-NP was expressed as the form of inclusion body (insoluble fraction)and the protein purified by affinity and metal chealating columns reacted specifically with the sera from patients of HFRS as to be tested by ELISA and Western blotting.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.455-474
• /
• 2021

The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that applied herbal medicine to treat viral hepatitis B and C in order to determine the therapeutic efficacy of herbal medicine. EMBASE, Pubmed, NDSL, KMBASE, KISS, KISTI, Koreamed, Koreantk, and Oasis databases were searched to identify RCTs. The selected studies were assessed by the Cochrane group's risk of bias tool. A total of 15 RCTs were selected, and the hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA reduction was significantly higher in patients treated with herbal medicine combined with Western medicine than in patients treated with herbal medicine. Herbal medicine combined with Western medicine was also superior to Western medicine alone in achieving hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg) and alanine aminotransferase [ALT] reduction. Only herbal medicine alone was not superior to Western medicine treatments in achieving HBV DNA, HBeAg, and ALT reduction.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.69-73
• /
• 2005

To overcome the main disadvantages of non-viral gene delivery systems such as repeated administration due to the low transfection efficiency, poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) was applied to encapsulate pDNA in its microsphere formulation. Free pDNA or various ratios (w/w) of chitosan/pDNA complexes was used for encapsulation, with the resulting encapsulation efficiency of 44%, 5%, and 8% for free pDNA, 0.7:1 and 1:1 ratios, respectively. Scanning electron micrographs of poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres encapsulating pDNA or chitosan-condensed pDNA revealed a smooth spherical shape immediately after microsphere preparation and a collapsed porous shape in 41 days due to the degradation of PLGA. In vitro release profile showed that the 0.7:1 (w/w) ratio formulation exerted 47% release in 26 days, whereas free pDNA or 1:1 (w/w) ratio formulation did only 15% or 32%, respectively.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.165-170
• /
• 2012

We report here that an ethanol extract of Tetracera scandens, a Vietnamese medicinal plant, has anti-HIV activity and possesses strong inhibitory activity against HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RTase). Using a MT-4 cell-based assay, we found that the T. scandens extract inhibited effectively HIV virus replication with an $IC_{50}$ value in the range of 2.0-2.5 ${\mu}g$/ml while the cellular toxicity value (CC50) was more than 40-50 ${\mu}g$/ml concentration, thus yielding a minimum specificity index of 20-fold. Moreover, the anti-HIV efficacy of the T. scandens extract was determined to be due, in part, to its potent inhibitory activity against HIV-1 RTase activity in vitro. The inhibitory activity against the RTase was further confirmed by probing viral cDNA production, an intermediate of viral reverse transcription, in virus-infected cells using quantitative DNA-PCR analysis. Thus, these results suggest that T. scandens can be a useful source for the isolation and development of new anti-HIV-1 inhibitor(s).

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.394-398
• /
• 2001

Because of the great concern over the possibility of contamination from the rod-shaped nuclear virus (PRDV) from Japan and white spot virus (WSSV) from Taiwan, most eggs used in Korean shrimp farms are currently obtained from local broodstock. In addition, the screening of imported broodstock for any viral presence at the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute is also mandatory. Nonetheless, massive mortality from white spot syndrome continues in Korea. In the present study, we present an improved PCR method to use tissue-extracted DNA instead of viral DNA extracted from a purified virus based on a sucrose density gradient, and produced results within 8 h. In 1998, this modified PCR method was able to detect that diseased Penaeus japonicus were infected within 8 h. In 1998, this modified PCR method was able to detect that diseased Penaeus japonicus were infected only with PRDV, while Fenneropenaeus chinensis were infected with both PRDV and WSSV. In 1999, PRDV and WSSV were detected in F. chinensis with signs of infection, but not with WSSV alone.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.144-149
• /
• 1991

Biochemical characteristics of Spodoptera uigua nuclear polyhedrosis virus (SeNPV) isolated in Jinju were studied. SeNPV contained a number of nucleocapsids within a viral envelope embeded in polyhedra. The polyhedral protein of SeNPV was composed of a single polypeptide with a M. W. of 30kd. Double-immunodiffusion test showed that the polyhedral protein of SeNPV had common antigenic determinants with SINPV and BmNPV. Virion proteins of SeNPV were resolved into 49 polypeptides by silver staining after SDS-PAGE. The approximate genome size of SeNPV by restriction endonuclease analysis was 1l0kb.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.50-56
• /
• 1998

The complementary DNA (cDNA) of potato virus Y- vein necrosis strain (PVY-VN) replicase gene (Nlb) was transformed into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Burley 21) plants. Out of 25 putative transformants regenerated, 3 were resistant to PVY-VN, one highly resistant plant with no symptom until seed harvest time and the other two with mild chlorotic spot symptoms at late stages after infection. No symptom was observed in the highly resistant plant, while mild vein necrotic symptoms were developed on suckers of the moderately resistant plants after seed harvest time, In the first generation (T1) via self fertilization, resistance to susceptibility frequency in transgenic plants from the highly resistant transformant was about 3 : 1, while it was lowered much (about 1:2 and 1:19) in T1 of the moderately resistant transformants. In the second generation (T2) of the highly resistant plant, resistance frequencies were similar to T1, but resistance levels varied greatly and appeared to be decreased. Key words : potato virus Y, viral replicate gene, transgenic tobacco plants, resistance.