• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2020

Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a soluble pattern recognition receptor (PRR), which is produced by several kinds of cells, such as neutrophils, dendritic cells, macrophages, and epithelial cells. PTX3 is known to play an important protective effect against Aspergillus. Genetic linkage in gene-targeted mice and human PTX3 plays a non-redundant role in the immune protection against specific pathogens, especially Aspergillus. Recent studies have shown that the polymorphism of PTX3 is associated with increased susceptibility to invasive aspergillosis (IA). In this review, we provide an overview of these studies that underline the potential of PTX3 in diagnosis and therapy of IA.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.48 no.8
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• pp.576-586
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• 2010

Recent advancement in molocular biology enhanced further understanding of the carcinogenesis of oral cancer and its relation with various genetic backgrounds. Familial risk factors includes similar habits of the family and polymorphic variations of the genes. Recently, human papilloma virus has been suggested to be linked with oral cancer progression. Enhancement of understanding of the damage or alteration in molecular pathway in various cellular response of oral cancer progression would lead the targeted therapy or precise early diagnosis of the oral cancer.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.123-126
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• 2008

Long QT Syndrome (LQT) is a congenital disease due to the failure of electrical system of the heart. We have analyzed KCNE1 gene which is known to be the cause of Type V LQT in Korean genome. Although SNPs of KCNE1 have been reported for Chinese and Malaysians no data are available for Korean people yet. PCR primers were prepared to investigate the sequences for normal and SNP at G30A, G112A, C162T. They were different only by 3' ends. Genomic DNAs were extracted from the people who were known to be normal clinically (35) or patients (20) with metabolic disease. As results, we were able to recognize several SNPs in these Korean samples. Some people were homozygous or heterozygous depending upon the type of SNP. This study should facilitate the research on the cause of Type VLQTs and to develop the further therapy at genetic level.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.8
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• pp.786-789
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• 2010

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are generated by epigenetic reprogramming of somatic cells through the exogenous expression of transcription factors. Recently, the generation of iPS cells from patients with a variety of genetic diseases was found to likely have a major impact on regenerative medicine, because these cells self-renew indefinitely in culture while retaining the capacity to differentiate into any cell type in the body, thereby enabling disease investigation and drug development. This review focuses on the current state of iPS cell technology and discusses the potential applications of these cells for disease modeling; drug discovery; and eventually, cell replacement therapy.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.788-794
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• 2015

Cationic liposomes have been actively used as gene delivery vehicles despite their unsatisfactory efficiencies because of their relatively low toxicity. In this study, we designed novel heterodimeric peptides as nonviral gene delivery systems from TAT and NLS peptides using cysteine-to-cysteine disulfide bonds between the two. Mixing these heterodimeric peptides with DNA before mixing with lipofectamine resulted in higher transfection efficiencies in MCF-7 breast cancer cells than mixing unmodified TAT, NLS, and a simple mixture of TAT and NLS with DNA, but did not show an adverse effect on cell viability. In gel retardation assays, the DNA binding affinities of heterodimeric peptides were stronger than NLS but weaker than TAT. However, this enhancement was only observed when heterodimeric peptides were premixed with DNA before being mixed with lipofectamine. The described novel transfection-enhancing peptide system produced by the heterodimerization of TAT and NLS peptides followed by simple mixing with DNA, increased the gene transfer efficiency of cationic lipids without enhancing cytotoxicity.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.8
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• pp.317-321
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• 2011

Children who suffer from steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) require aggressive treatment to achieve remission. When intravenous high-dose methylprednisolone fails, calcineurin inhibitors, such as cyclosporine and tacrolimus, are used as the first line of treatment. A significant number of patients with SRNS progress to end-stage renal disease if remission is not achieved. For these children, renal replacement therapy can also be problematic; peritoneal dialysis may be accompanied by significant protein loss through the peritoneal membrane, and kidney allograft transplantation may be complicated by recurrence of SRNS. Plasmapheresis and rituximab were initially used for treatment of recurrent SRNS after transplantation; these are now under consideration as rescue therapies for refractory SRNS. Although the prognosis of SRNS is complicated and unfavorable, intensive treatment in the early stages of the disease may achieve remission in more than half of the patients. Therefore, timely referral of pediatric SRNS patients to pediatric nephrology specialists for histological and genetic diagnosis and treatment is highly recommended.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.11
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• pp.943-952
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• 2018

The discovery and mechanistic understanding of target-specific genome engineering technologies has led to extremely effective and specific genome editing in higher organisms. Target-specific genetic modification technology is expected to have a leading position in future gene therapy development, and has a ripple effect on various basic and applied studies. However, several problems remain and hinder efficient and specific editing of target genomic loci. The issues are particularly critical in precise targeted insertion of external DNA sequences into genomes. Here, we discuss some recent efforts to overcome such problems and present a perspective of future genome editing technologies.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2013

Familial Juvenile hyperuricemic nephropathy (FJHN) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder, characterized by early onset of hyperuricemia, gout and progressive kidney disease. Hyperuricemia prior to renal impairment and decreased fractional excretion of uric acid are hallmarks of FJHN. Renal dysfunction gradually appears early in life and results in end-stage renal disease usually between the ages of 20 and 70 years. FJHN is mostly caused by mutations in the uromodulin gene located at 16p12. The course of FJHN is highly variable. Treatment includes management for hyperuricemia, gout and progressive kidney disease. Individuals with gout have been usually treated with allopurinol. But controversy exists as to whether uric acid lowering therapy prevents the progression of chronic kidney disease.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.229-239
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• 2009

Molecular imaging strives to visualize processes in living subjects at the molecular level. Monitoring biochemical processes at this level will allow us to directly track biological processes and signaling events that lead to pathophysiological abnormalities, and help make personalized medicine a reality by allowing evaluation of therapeutic efficacies on an individual basis. Although most molecular imaging techniques emerged from the field of oncology, they have now gradually gained acceptance by the cardiovascular community. Hence, the availability of dedicated high-resolution small animal imaging systems and specific targeting imaging probes is now enhancing our understanding of cardiovascular diseases and expediting the development of newer therapies. Examples include imaging approaches to evaluate and track the progress of recent genetic and cellular therapies for treatment of myocardial ischemia. Other areas include in vivo monitoring of such key molecular processes as angiogenesis and apoptosis, Cardiovascular molecular imaging is already an important research tool in preclinical experiments. The challenge that lies ahead is to implement these techniques into the clinics so that they may help fulfill the promise of molecular therapies and personalized medicine, as well as to resolve disappointments and controversies surrounding the field.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.3905-3909
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• 2012

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women aged 35 to 74 years. Although there are several popular hypothesis of ovarian cancer pathogenesis, the genetic mechanisms are far from being clear. Recently, systems biology approaches such as network-based methods have been successfully applied to elucidate the mechanisms of diseases. In this study, we constructed a crosstalk network among ovarian cancer related pathways by integrating protein-protein interactions and KEGG pathway information. Several significant pathways were identified to crosstalk with each other in ovarian cancer, such as the chemokine, Notch, Wnt and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways. Results from these studies will provide the groundwork for a combination therapy approach targeting multiple pathways which will likely be more effective than targeting one pathway alone.