• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.154-170
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study was review the current clinical studies about the effect of Korean traditional medicine treatment for meniscus injury. Methods: Clinical studies on Korean traditional medicine treatment of meniscus injury were searched through 11 online databases. We analyzed the authors, publication year, country, study design, subjects, treatment methods, treatment effects, evaluation tools and adverse events of the selected studies. Results: 23 studies which included 9 randomized controlled trials, 8 case reports, 4 retrospective observational studies, 2 non-randomized controlled trials were selected through the databases. A total of 9 Korean traditional medicine treatments were used, among them, acupuncture treatment was the most used. The most commonly used outcome was effective rate. Conclusions: Through this study, we could confirm that Korean traditional medicine is an effective treatment for meniscus injury. It was suggested that various clinical studies on the effects of Korean traditional medicine for meniscus injury are needed and it is necessary to establish more scientific evidence through studies with a high level of evidence.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.42.1-42.22
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• 2020

Regenerative medicine using stem cells from various sources are emerging treatment modality in several refractory diseases in veterinary medicine. It is well-known that stem cells can differentiate into specific cell types, self-renew, and regenerate. In addition, the unique immunomodulatory effects of stem cells have made stem cell transplantation a promising option for treating a wide range of disease and injuries. Recently, the medical demands for companion animals have been rapidly increasing, and certain disease conditions require alternative treatment options. In this review, we focused on stem cell application research in companion animals including experimental models, case reports and clinical trials in dogs and cats. The clinical studies and therapeutic protocols were categorized, evaluated and summarized according to the organ systems involved. The results indicate that evidence for the effectiveness of cell-based treatment in specific diseases or organ systems is not yet conclusive. Nonetheless, stem cell therapy may be a realistic treatment option in the near future, therefore, considerable efforts are needed to find optimized cell sources, cell numbers and delivery methods in order to standardize treatment methods and evaluation processes.

• Journal of Convergence Korean Medicine
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.35-55
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• 2021

Objectives: To investigate the characteristics of topical agents including natural products using for atopic dermatitis treatment via a review on the cases and clinical trials. Methods: Through a search on Pubmed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, DBPIA, NDSL, and OASIS, we selected papers that applied natural products externally for atopic dermatitis and analyzed them. Results: Finally, Seventeen papers were selected. As the primary outcome, changes in the SCORAD and EASI, were the most used. The most frequent type of external formulation was cream. In terms of the frequency of use, it was used at least twice a day in all studies. When evaluated based on SCORAD, EASI, SH and TEWL, the improvement effect on atopic dermatitis was highest when the ointment formulation and the moisturizer formulation were used. A few side effects of topical agents including natural products were observed, but most were mild symptoms and no serious side effects occurred. Conclusion: This study is meaningful in that it has drawn a significant trend for studies that have been published in the last 5 years that contain a single intervention for topical agents including natural products, and that it presents the direction and evidence for the application of external therapy to increase the therapeutic effect of atopic dermatitis.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.45-51
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• 2014

Gastric cancer is the second most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Korea. Many cases of gastric cancer are detected in the early stages on standard medical examinations; complete surgical and endoscopic resection is the most recommended treatment for early-stage gastric cancer. Nevertheless, many patients have already progressed to advanced gastric cancer (AGC) upon diagnosis, and the prognosis of such patients is very poor. Combination chemotherapy has been shown to produce a better quality of life (QOL) and to increase overall survival in AGC patients. However, approximately 50% of patients do not respond to the current first-line chemotherapy, while most patients who do respond eventually show disease progression. Accordingly, various second-line regimens have been investigated, and active salvage chemotherapy has been shown to improve the QOL and clinical outcomes in select AGS patients who can tolerate it. There is also an increasing need for neoadjuvant therapy for treating gastric cancer; therefore, various clinical trials have been set up to investigate different regimens. Neoadjuvant therapy is currently established as the standard treatment for locally AGC in Europe; it has contributed to lowering the nodal stages and has reduced overall mortality rates. Despite these benefits, many uncertainties remain. Therefore, further prospective, high quality randomized controlled trials for neoadjuvant therapies are needed to clarify their clinical benefits and to establish the most effective treatment strategies for AGC.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.53-67
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• 2024

Objective This study aimed to assess the trend of randomized clinical trials conducted in China involving oral herbal medicine for treating adolescent polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods We used the China National Knowledge Infrastructure as our primary resource and conducted a search using keywords such as "PCOS", "多囊卵巢" and "多囊卵巢综合征". We identified and analyzed seven RCTs. Results 1. The group receiving herbal medicine treatment demonstrated significant improvements in total efficiency, sex hormone levels, and ultrasound-measurable values compared to the control group. 2. Epimedii Herba (淫羊藿), Alviae Miltiorrhizae Radix (丹參), and Angelicae Gigantis et Acutilobae Radix (當歸) were among the most used herbs in Traditional Chinese medicine decoctions for treating PCOS. Conclusions The findings suggest that oral herbal medicine is an effective treatment for patients with PCOS. This study provides a foundation for future research on the use of oral herbal medicine in PCOS treatment.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.80-99
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• 2024

Objectives: The objective of this study was to review clinical studies conducted over the last ten years that investigated weight or fat loss interventions that can preserve muscle or fat-free mass in Sarcopenic obesity Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Research Information Sharing Service (RISS) and Korea Studies Information Service (KISS) were searched for Randomized clinical trials that had investigated all-type of interventions on the management of sarcopenic obesity from October 2013 to September 2023. Results: A total of 14 studies met all the inclusion criteria. Interventions that increase muscle mass while reducing body fat at the same time included resistance training (including using elastic bands) and whole-body electromyostimulation(WB-EMS) in exercise intervention and Hypocaloric high-protein diet in nutritional intervention, exercise and nutritional combined intervention, and combination intervention of electrical acupuncture and amino acid supplementation. Among them, the most positive method of changing the body composition in sarcopenic obesity was the electric acupuncture and amino acid supplements. Conclusion: Varying diagnostic criteria and management interventions for sarcopenic obesity in the included studies made it hard to maintain homogeneity across the studies. Well-defined criteria for diagnostic sarcopenic obesity should be considered. In addition, since all of the interventions examined did not show sufficient clinical effectiveness, follow-up studies are needed to confirm effective interventions for sarcopenic obesity patients in the future.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.171-180
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• 2024

Male infertility can be caused by genetic anomalies, endocrine disorders, inflammation, and exposure to toxic chemicals or gonadotoxic treatments. Therefore, several recent studies have concentrated on the preservation and restoration of fertility to enhance the quality of life for affected individuals. It is currently recommended to biobank the tissue extracted from testicular biopsies to provide a later source of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Another successful approach has been the in vitro production of haploid male germ cells. The capacity of SSCs to transform into sperm, as in testicular tissue transplantation, SSC therapy, and in vitro or ex vivo spermatogenesis, makes them ideal candidates for in vivo fertility restoration. The transplantation of SSCs or testicular tissue to regenerate spermatogenesis and create embryos has been achieved in nonhuman mammal species. Although the outcomes of human trials have yet to be released, this method may soon be approved for clinical use in humans. Furthermore, regenerative medicine techniques that develop tissue or cells on organic or synthetic scaffolds enriched with bioactive molecules have also gained traction. All of these methods are now in different stages of experimentation and clinical trials. However, thanks to rigorous studies on the safety and effectiveness of SSC-based reproductive treatments, some of these techniques may be clinically available in upcoming decades.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.163-176
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• 2009

Objectives : To address most probable and suitable method for designing clinical trial intervening Traditional Korean Herbal Medicine on hwa-byung. Study Design : A systematic review of research studies of complementary and/or alternative medical(CAM) treatment of depression, and of domestic clinical trials of Traditional Korean Medicine, and of Chinese clinical trials of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Methods : Randomized, controlled trials(RCTs) of treatment of depression intervening herbal medicine were searched through MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and CNKI databases. Also, domestic RCTs intervening Traditional Korean Herbal Medicine were searched through Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal and Korean studies Information Service System(KISS). Studies were evaluated using Iadad scale and self-designed tool for this study. Results : Thirty four RCT studies( 10 from MEDLINE, 16 from CNKI, 8 domestic studies) of herbal medicine met inclusion criteria. Mean Jadad score of studies published in English was 2.8${\pm}$0.79, in Chinese 1.94${\pm}$0.77, and in Korean 2.75${\pm}$0.71. Twenty one percent of studies included pattern differentiation in their inclusion criteria. Twenty nine percent of studies used combined treatment of herbal and conventional medicine. Among studies on depression, 9% included Complementary Medical assessing tools. Conclusions : There is shortage of domestic clinical trial involving herbal medicine. In China, studies tend to focus on investigating effect of Combined treatment of herbal and conventional medicine on depression. Clinical trial(s) of hwa-byung should provide good internal validity by describing methodology for randomization, double-blinding, and attrition. Also, specific guideline for clinical trial, including Traditional Korean Medical aspects across inclusion criteria, and assessing tools is needed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.3403-3410
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• 2014

Context: Interest exits in whether TNF-alpha antagonists increase the risk of breast cancer and total malignancies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Objectives: To analyze the risk of malignancies, especially breast cancer, in patients with RA enrolled in randomized control trials (RCTs). Methods: A systematic literature search for RCTs from 1 January 1998 to 1 July 2013 from online databases, such as PubMed, WILEY, EMBASE, ISI web of knowledge and Cochrane Library was conducted. Studies included RCTs that compared the safety of at least one dose of the five TNF-${\alpha}$ antagonists with placebo or methotrexate (MTX) (or TNF-${\alpha}$ antagonists plus MTX vs placebo plus MTX) in RA patients for more than 24 weeks and imported all the references into document management software EndNote${\times}6$. Two independent reviewers selected studies and extracted the data about study design, patients' characteristics and the type, number of all malignancies. Results: 28 RCTs from 34 records with 11,741 patients were analyzed. Of the total, 97 developed at least one malignancy during the double-blind trials, and breast cancer was observed in 17 patients (17.5% of total malignancies). However, there was no statistically significant increased risk observed in either the per protocol (PP) model (OR 0.65, 95%CI [0.22, 1.93]) or the modified intention to treat (mITT) model (OR 0.75, 95%CI [0.25, 2.21]). There were also no significant trend for increased risk of total malignancies on anti-TNF-${\alpha}$ therapy administered at approved doses in either model (OR, 1.06, 95%CI [0.64, 1.75], and OR, 1.30, 95%CI [0.80, 2.14], respectively). As to the two models, modified intention to treat model analysis led to higher estimation than per protocol model analysis. Conclusions: This study did not find a significantly increased risk of breast cancer and total malignancies in adults RA patients treated with TNF-${\alpha}$ antagonists at approved doses. However, it cannot be ignored that more patients developed malignancies with TNF-${\alpha}$ antagonists therapy compared with patients with placebo or MTX, in spite of the lack of statistical significance, so that more strict clinical trials and long-term follow-up are needed, and both mITT and PP analyses should be used in such safety analyses.