• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• 제12권4호
• /
• pp.156-164
• /
• 2014

Cancer is the most dreaded disease in human and also major health problem worldwide. Despite its high occurrence, the exact molecular mechanisms of the development and progression are not fully understood. The existing cancer therapy based on allopathic medicine is expensive, exhibits side effects; and may also alter the normal functioning of genes. Thus, a non-toxic and effective mode of treatment is needed to control cancer development and progression. Some medicinal plants offer a safe, effective and affordable remedy to control the cancer progression. Nimbolide, a limnoid derived from the neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves and flowers of neem, is widely used in traditional medical practices for treating various human diseases. Nimbolide exhibits several pharmacological effects among which its anticancer activity is the most promising. The previous studies carried out over the decades have shown that nimbolide inhibits cell proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells. This review highlights the current knowledge on the molecular targets that contribute to the observed anticancer activity of nimbolide related to induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest; and inhibition of signaling pathways related to cancer progression.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• 제46권1호
• /
• pp.54-61
• /
• 2022

Ginseng has been widely studied due to its various therapeutic properties on various diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). Cardiovascular disease has been canonically known to be caused by high levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) in the bloodstream, in addition to the impaired vasodilatory effects of cholesterol. However, current research on CVD has revealed a cascade of mechanisms involving a series of events that contribute to the progression of CVD. Although this has been elucidated and summarized in previous studies the detailed correlation between platelet aggregation and innate immunity that plays an important role in CVD progression has not been thoroughly summarized. Furthermore, immune cell subtypes also contribute to the progression of plaque formation in the subendothelial layer. Thrombus formation and the coagulation cascade also have a vital role in the progression of atherosclerosis. Hence, in this mini review we aim to elucidate, summarize, and propose the potent therapeutic effect of ginseng on CVD, mainly on platelet aggregation, plaque formation, and thrombus formation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• 제80권2호
• /
• pp.153-158
• /
• 2017

Background: Recently, increased levels of high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) have been identified in various inflammatory conditions and infections. However, no studies have evaluated the HMGB1 level in nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease, and compared it to mycobacterial lung disease. Methods: A total of 60 patients newly diagnosed with NTM lung disease, 44 culture-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients, and 34 healthy controls, were included in this study. The serum HMGB1 concentrations were quantified using HMGB1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results: Serum HMGB1 level in patients with pulmonary TB or NTM lung disease, was significantly lower than that of the healthy controls. In addition, the serum HMGB1 level in TB patients was significantly lower than patients with NTM lung disease. However, the levels in NTM patient subgroups did not differ according to the causative species, disease progression, and disease phenotype. Conclusion: Although low levels of serum HMGB1 has the potential to be a marker of mycobacterial lung disease, these levels were unable to differentiate disease progression and disease phenotype in NTM lung diseases.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제14권9호
• /
• pp.5257-5261
• /
• 2013

The micronucleus frequency (MNF) in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) is a biomarker of chromosomal damage and genome instability in human populations.The relationship of micronucleus frequency with prognosis of patients with acute leukemia is not clear. We therefore investigated MNF in mitogen-activated peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with hematologic diseases and solid tumours. Patients included 50 with acute leukemia, 49 diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), 54 with benign blood diseases, and 45 with solid tumours, examined with 50 healthy controls. The mean MNF was significantly higher in cases of hematologic diseases and solid tumor patients than in healthy controls (P<0.001). There was no evident difference between MNF in the acute leukemia ($7.15{\pm}2.18$) and solid tumor groups ($7.11{\pm}1.47$), but both were higher than in the MDS group ($5.12{\pm}1.29$) and benign blood diseases group ($3.08{\pm}1.08$). Taking 7.15‰, the average MNF of the acute leukemia group as standard, and dividing 50 cases of acute leukemia patients into high MNF group ($MNF{\geq}7.15$‰) and low MNF group (MNF<7.15‰). The overall response (complete remission + partial remission) rates of the low MNF group were significantly higher than in the high MNF group (P=0.001). The high MNF group further showed lower overall survival rates than the low MNF group. MNF expression and progression-free survival seemed to have a opposite relationship, with a correlation coefficient of -0.702. These data indicate that MNF in peripheral blood lymphocytes is important for evaluation of prognosis of acute leukemia patients, and it can reflect progression of disease to a certain degree.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• 제40권4호
• /
• pp.135-139
• /
• 2015

Desquamative gingivitis (DG) is a gingival manifestation of systemic mucocutaneous disorders such as mucous membrane pemphigoid, oral lichen planus, and pemphigus vulgaris. The lesion is very painful, so affects the patient's ability to do proper oral hygiene practices. This may be a potential risk factor for long-term periodontal health. However, there is some controversy about the relationship between the existence of DG and periodontal status. Although the correlation between DG-associated diseases and periodontal status is not to be certain, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment including adequate plaque control and removal of local factors is very important for preventing the progression of diseases and destruction of periodontal tissues.

• 한국환경보건학회지
• /
• 제33권5호
• /
• pp.434-440
• /
• 2007

The livestocks are sometimes infected with pathogenic microorganisms such as bird influenza, brucellosis, pig cholerae, and salmonella. However, it is difficult to predict the outcome of these diseases because the livestocks are mostly raised in the rural areas. Efficient systems for detecting and alerting the onset of livestock diseases are urgently required. In these studies, the fluorescent analysis method, luminescent analysis method, and frequently used gene amplification method (polymerase chain reaction) have been developed in order to detect the pathogenic microbes in the early stages of disease progression. By using these developed systems, damages due to the livestock diseases induced by microbes can be minimized. If we can detect livestock diseases in the early stage, the costs for diagnosis and treatment will be reduced, and the livestock can be quickly recovered.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• 제26권4호
• /
• pp.312-316
• /
• 2003

The oriental herbal combination allergina has been shown to inhibit allergic inflammation. In the present study, we demonstrate that the oral administration of allergina markedly inhibits the progression of inflammatory diseases, such as graft-versus-host diseases (in the allogeneic bone marrow transplantation and the parent-into-F1 transplantation models), collagen-induced arthritis and sheep red blood cell-induced delayed type hypersensitivity. The immunosuppressive activity of allergina in vivo appears to be associated, at least in part, with the inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-a production. In conclusion, our results suggest that allergina could be useful as a immunosuppressive agent for the treatment of macrophage-related inflammatory disease.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• 제76권3호
• /
• pp.105-113
• /
• 2014

From January 2012 up until March 2013, many articles with huge clinical importance in asthma were published based on large numbered clinical trials or meta-analysis. The main subjects of these studies were the new therapeutic plan based on the asthma phenotype or efficacy along with the safety issues regarding the current treatment guidelines. For efficacy and safety issues, inhaled corticosteroid tapering strategy or continued long-acting beta agonists use was the major concern. As new therapeutic trials, monoclonal antibodies or macrolide antibiotics based on inflammatory phenotypes have been under investigation, with promising preliminary results. There were other issues on the disease susceptibility or genetic background of asthma, particularly for the "severe asthma" phenotype. In the era of genome and pharmacogenetics, there have been extensive studies to identify susceptible candidate genes based on the results of genome wide association studies (GWAS). However, for severe asthma, which is where most of the mortality or medical costs develop, it is very unclear. Moreover, there have been some efforts to find important genetic information in order to predict the possible disease progression, but with few significant results up until now. In conclusion, there are new on-going aspects in the phenotypic classification of asthma and therapeutic strategy according to the phenotypic variations. With more pharmacogenomic information and clear identification of the "severe asthma" group even before disease progression from GWAS data, more adequate and individualized therapeutic strategy could be realized in the future.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• 제29권1호
• /
• pp.1-15
• /
• 2006

Vascular endothelial cell injury or dysfunction has been implicated in the onset and' progression of cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis. A number of previous studies have demonstrated that the pro-oxidative and pro-inflammatory pathways within vascular endothelium play an important role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, Recent evidence has provided compelling evidence to indicate that interleukin-4 (IL-4) can induce proc inflammatory environment via oxidative stress-mediated up-regulation of inflammatory mediators such as cytokine, chemokine, and adhesion molecules in vascular endothelial cells. In addition, apoptotic cell death within vascular endothelium has been hypothesized to be involved in the development of atherosclerosis. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that IL-4 can induce apoptosis of human vascular endothelial cells through the caspase-3-dependent pathway, suggesting that IL-4 can increase endothelial cell turnover by accelerated apoptosis, the event which may cause the dysfunction of the vascular endothelium. These studies will have a high probability of revealing new directions that lead to the development of clinical strategies toward the prevention and/or treatment for individuals with inflammatory vascular diseases including atherosclerosis.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제50권7호
• /
• pp.345-354
• /
• 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.