• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.383-390
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• 2012

Ginseng has been used as an herbal medicine, widely used in Asian countries, for long time. Recently, beneficial effects for immune functions of Korean red ginseng (KRG) have been reported in adults. This study was performed to investigate the effects of ginseng on immune functions in children after cessation of chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation for advanced cancer. Thirty patients, who were diagnosed and treated for leukemia and solid cancer at the department of pediatrics and adolescence of the Yeungnam University Hospital from June 2004 to June 2009, were enrolled for the study. The study group consisted of 19 patients who received KRG extract (60 mg/kg/d) for 1 yr and 11 patients who did not receive KRG extract were the control group. Blood samples were collected every 6 mo. Immune assays included circulating lymphocyte subpopulation, serum cytokines (IL-2, IL-10, IL-12, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma), and total concentrations of serum IgG, IgA, and IgM subclasses. Age at diagnosis ranged from 2 mo to 15 yr (median 5 yr). Nine patients received stem cell transplantation. The cytokines of the KRG treated group were decreasing more rapidly than that of the control group. Lymphocyte subpopulations (T cell, B cell, NK cell, T4, T8, and T4/T8 ratio) and serum immunoglobulin subclasses (IgG, IgA, and IgM) did not show significant differences between the study and the control groups. This study suggests that KRG extract might have a stabilizing effect on the inflammatory cytokines in children with cancer after chemotherapy.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.199-206
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• 2010

Stem-cell therapy has the potential to improve vision in patients with untreatable retinal disease. Various types of cell source including fetal, embryonic and adult stem cells, intrinsic and extrinsic factors for differentiation into retinal progenitors and transplantation mode were discussed in this review. Experimental approaches have successfully induced photoreceptor precursor cells and retinal pigment epithelium. Stem-cell-based therapy is a promising treatment to restore vision in patients with retinal disease, in spite of the challenges.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.7.1-7.13
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• 2021

Background: Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is caused by the mutation of NPC genes, which leads to the abnormal accumulation of unesterified cholesterol and glycolipids in lysosomes. This autosomal recessive disease is characterized by liver dysfunction, hepatosplenomegaly, and progressive neurodegeneration. Recently, the application of induced neural stem cells (iNSCs), converted from fibroblasts using specific transcription factors, to repair degenerated lesions has been considered a novel therapy. Objectives: The therapeutic effects on NPC by human iNSCs generated by our research group have not yet been studied in vivo; in this study, we investigate those effects. Methods: We used an NPC mouse model to efficiently evaluate the therapeutic effect of iNSCs, because neurodegeneration progress is rapid in NPC. In addition, application of human iNSCs from NPC patient-derived fibroblasts in an NPC model in vivo can give insight into the clinical usefulness of iNSC treatment. The iNSCs, generated from NPC patientderived fibroblasts using the SOX2 and HMGA2 reprogramming factors, were transplanted by intracerebral injection into NPC mice. Results: Transplantation of iNSCs showed positive results in survival and body weight change in vivo. Additionally, iNSC-treated mice showed improved learning and memory in behavior test results. Furthermore, through magnetic resonance imaging and histopathological assessments, we observed delayed neurodegeneration in NPC mouse brains. Conclusions: iNSCs converted from patient-derived fibroblasts can become another choice of treatment for neurodegenerative diseases such as NPC.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.107-123
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• 2008

It has now been well documented in a variety of models that T regulatory T cells (Treg cells) play a pivotal role in the maintenance of self-tolerance, T cell homeostasis, tumor, allergy, autoimmunity, allograft transplantation and control of microbial infection. Recently, Treg cell are isolated and can be expanded in vitro and in vivo, and their role is the subject of intensive investigation, particularly on the possible Treg cell therapy for various immune-mediated diseases. A growing body of evidence has demonstrated that Treg cells can prevent or even cure a wide range of diseases, including tumor, allergic and autoimmune diseases, transplant rejection, graft-versus-host disease. Currently, a large body of data in the literature has been emerging and provided evidence that clear understanding of Treg cell work will present definite opportunities for successful Treg cell immunotherapy for the treatment of a broad spectrum of diseases. In this Review, I briefly discuss the biology of Treg cells, and summarize efforts to exploit Treg cell therapy for autoimmune diseases. This article also explores recent observations on pharmaceutical agents that abrogate or enhance the function of Treg cells for manipulation of Treg cells for therapeutic purpose.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.22-23
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• 2003

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.347-350
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• 2003

Dialysis and renal transplantation, the current therapies for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), have many limitations including severe complications, organ shortage, and graft failure. To overcome the limitations, the present study investigated the reconstruction of renal tissue in vivo by transplanting isolated fetal renal cells using fibrin gel to the kidney of renal failure rat model. After 4 weeks from the transplantation, blood urea nitrogen(BUN) and creatinine were examined from blood samples and histological examination of the implanted tissues revealed formation of renal-like structures and restoration of renal function.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.93-97
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• 1989

These experiments were carried out to develop the technique of nuclear transplantation necessary for elevating utilization efficiency of high quality embryos and the production of clone animals. Embryos of pronucleus stages were obtained from ICR mice. Removal of pronuclei and their transfer to recipient embryos were carried out by micromanipulation and virus mediation. The results obtained in these experiments were summarized as follows ; 1. Total 337 pairs of pronuclear stage embryos were subjected to nuclear transplantatin and 247 pairs(73.3%) of them were successfully transplanted and the number of fused embryos between transplanted nucleus and cytoplasm was 188 pairs(55.8%). 2. Of the 188 fused embryos cultured in vitro, 174(92.4%), 131(69.7%) and 117(62.2%) embryos were developed to 2-cell, morula and blastocyst stages, respectively. 3. When total 104 nuclear transplanted embryos were transferred to uteri of recipient mice on day 2-3 of pseudopregnancy, 4 of 12 recipient mice were pregnant and the number of embryos developed to young was 28(26.9%).

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.108-115
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• 2006

The inherent biology of neural stem cells (NSCs) endows them with capabilities that not only circumvent many of the limitations of other gene transfer vehicles, but that enable a variety of novel therapeutic strategies heretofore regarded as beyond the purview of neural transplantation, Most neurodegenerative diseases are characterized not by discrete, focal abnormalities but rather by extensive, multifocal, or even global neuropathology. Such widely disseminated lesions have not conventionally been regarded as amenable to neural transplantation. However, the ability of NSCs to engraft diffusely and become integral members of structures throughout the host CNS while also expressing therapeutic molecules may permit these cells to address that challenge. Intriguingly, while NSCs can be readily engineered to express specified foreign genes, other intrinsic factors appear to emanate spontaneously from NSCs and, in the context of reciprocal donor-host signaling, seem to be capable of neuroprotective and/or neuroregenerative functions. Stem cells additionally have the appealing ability to "home in" on pathology, even over great distances. Such observations help to advance the idea that NSCs - as a prototype for stem cells from other solid organs - might aid in reconstructing the molecular and cellular milieu of maid eve loped or damaged organs.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.136-141
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• 2022

Inflammation is one of the body's natural responses to injury and illness as part of the healing process. However, persistent inflammation can lead to chronic inflammatory diseases and multi-organ failure. Altered mitochondrial function has been implicated in several acute and chronic inflammatory diseases by inducing an abnormal inflammatory response. Therefore, treating inflammatory diseases by recovering mitochondrial function may be a potential therapeutic approach. Recently, mitochondrial transplantation has been proven to be beneficial in hyperinflammatory animal models. However, it is unclear how mitochondrial transplantation attenuates inflammatory responses induced by external stimuli. Here, we isolated mitochondria from umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells, referred as to PN-101. We found that PN-101 could significantly reduce LPS-induced mortality in mice. In addition, in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-treated THP-1 macrophages, PN-101 attenuated LPS-induced increase production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory effect of PN-101 was mediated by blockade of phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, and trans-activity of NFκB. Taken together, our results demonstrate that PN-101 has therapeutic potential to attenuate pathological inflammatory responses.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.96-101
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• 2012

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is considered the optimal curative treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but some patients develop bone marrow relapse due to remnant leukemia, and few patients develop extramedullary relapse without bone marrow relapse. Isolated extramedullary relapse (IMER) is defined as extramedullary relapse without bone marrow relapse. IMER has been reported in various sites, including the skin, soft tissue, and central nervous system(CNS). Isolated CNS relapse is relatively rare and is associated with poor prognosis due to the absence of an optimal treatment for it. Reported herein is a case involving an adult AML woman who suffered from isolated extramedullary relapse in the CNS after allogeneic HSCT. She was treated with intrathecal chemotherapy and whole-brain and spine radiotherapy, followed by systemic chemotherapy. She is currently well, with no evidence of leukemia recurrence for over six years.