• Clinical and Molecular Hepatology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.358-366
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• 2018

Severe acute alcoholic liver disease (SAAH) unresponsive to medical therapy shows one-year-mortality rates of up to 90%. Most transplant centers request six months of alcohol abstinence prior to transplantation, the so-called "6-month rule." This regulation is not based on strong evidence, repeatedly making it a topic of controversial debates. The majority of patients with SAAH will die before fulfilling the 6-month rule. Therefore, liver transplantation (LT) protocols are becoming more flexible towards the rigid abstinence regulation, especially concerning SAAH patients. We conducted a literature review regarding LT in SAAH and its outcomes, including post-transplant mortality and recidivism. We studied available data on PubMed from 2011 and onwards whilst including articles dealing with genetic components, medical therapy and historic snapshots of alcoholism. Emerging studies recommend LT in SAAH not responding to medical therapies even without realizing the required abstinence period, since the majority of these patients would die within 6 months. SAAH without response to medical therapy has one-year-mortality rates of up to 90%. The 6-month rule is not based on strong evidence and is repeatedly a topic of controversial debates. There is genetic linkage to alcoholism and medical therapy is not as effective as estimated, yet. The 6-months-regulation has not shown to evidently decrease the risk of recidivism post-LT, which is a lifesaving treatment in SAAH patients. Insisting on rigid sobriety rules results in excluding patients with a low risk of recidivism from being transplanted. Moreover, the genetic linkage of alcoholism must be recognized.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.283-294
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• 2021

A genetic etiology of male infertility is identified in fewer than 25% of infertile men, while 30% of infertile men lack a clear etiology, resulting in a diagnosis of idiopathic male infertility. Advances in reproductive genetics have provided insights into the mechanisms of male infertility, and a characterization of the genetic basis of male infertility may have broad implications for understanding the causes of infertility and determining the prognosis, optimal treatment, and management of couples. In a substantial proportion of patients with azoospermia, known genetic factors contribute to male infertility. Additionally, the number of identified genetic anomalies in other etiologies of male infertility is growing through advances in whole-genome amplification and next-generation sequencing. In this review, we present an up-to-date overview of the indications for appropriate genetic tests, summarize the characteristics of chromosomal and genetic diseases, and discuss the treatment of couples with genetic infertility by microdissection-testicular sperm extraction, personalized hormone therapy, and in vitro fertilization with pre-implantation genetic testing.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.40-48
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• 2019

Purpose: This study assessed the current working conditions and job satisfaction on aquatic therapy performed by physical therapists in South Korea. Methods: A total of 139 (managers: 53, staff: 86) physical therapists participated in this survey (90 questionnaires) and the data were analyzed using the SPSS 21.0 Windows. Results: The retention conditions of aquatic therapy facilitation was high in the rehabilitation centers (or disabled living facilities) and rehabilitation hospitals. On the other hand, there were regional variations. The physical therapists in this field were likely to have limitations or restrictions of professional aquatic therapy education. The subjects showed a tendency for a career interruption during their fifth working year. The overall job satisfaction on aquatic therapy of physical therapists was high (managers: 94.3%, staff: 95.3%, p=0.276), but the work intensity was higher than the other parts of physical therapy and the relative reward was comparatively low (managers: 60.3%, staff: 66.3%, p=0.865). Conclusion: Based on this study, the current working conditions regarding aquatic therapy by physical therapists were assessed. These results will help enhance aquatic therapy and/or in aquatic therapy facilitation.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.191-197
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• 2005

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Tat protein transduction domain (PTD) is responsible for highly efficient protein transduction across plasma membranes. In a previous study, we showed that Tat-Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (Tat-SOD) can be directly transduced into mammalian cells across the lipid membrane barrier. In this study, we fused the human SOD gene with a Tat PTD transduction vector at its N- and/or C-terminus. The fusion proteins (Tat-SOD, SOD-Tat, Tat-SOD-Tat) were purified from Escherichia coli and their ability to enter cells in vitro and in vivo compared by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The transduction efficiencies and biological activities of the SOD fusion protein with the Tat PTD at either terminus were equivalent and lower than the fusion protein with the Tat PTD at both termini. The availability of a more efficient SOD fusion protein provides a powerful vehicle for therapy in human diseases related to this anti-oxidant enzyme and to reactive oxygen species.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.153-159
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• 2002

Gene therapy is fundamentally a sophisticated drug delivery technology to cure a disease by the transfer of genetic material to modify living cells. In other words, the gene is used as a therapeutic drug much like a chemical compound is employed in chemotherapy. Currently almost 600 clinical trials are underway worldwide since the first clinical trials carried out in 1990 to treat adenosine deaminase deficiency using retroviral vectors. Despite the great progress still is there no gene therapy product being approved as a new drug. This is partly due to a lack of an ideal gene delivery system that is safe and can provide stable, optimal level production of the therapeutic proteins in the cell. This review covers the current status of several different biological and physico-chemical agents that are being developed as gene delivery vehicles. Although gene therapy promises great hopes toward the cure of a broad spectrum of genetic and acquired diseases, the success of gene therapy heavily asks for the development of vector systems for safe and efficient application in humans.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.41-45
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• 2007

Pharmacogenomics is the study that examines how genetic variations affect the ways in which people respond to drugs. The ways people respond to drugs are complex traits that are influenced by many different genes. Pharmacogenomics intends to develop rational means of optimizing drug therapy, with respect to the patients' genotype, to maximize efficacy with minimal adverse drug reactions. Pharmacogenomics has the potential to revolutionize the practice of medicine, and promises to usher in an area of personalized medicine, in which drugs and drug combinations are optimized for each individual's unique genetic makeup. Indeed, pharmacogenomics is exploited as an essential step for target discovery and drug development in the pharmaceutical industry. The goal of the personalized medicine is to get the right dose of the right drug to the right patient at the right time. In this article, we will review the use of pharmacogenomics in drug discovery and development.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1885-1887
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• 2014

Skin metastases of breast cancer are usually late events in the course of tumor progression and signify a poor prognosis. They may remain as a therapeutic challenge especially after failure of standard treatments. Topical interventions, together with or without radiotherapy, may only palliate the symptoms temporarily. However, there may be alternative treatment modalities for unresectable breast cancer skin metastases resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. There are various genetic alterations in tumors and therapeutic potential of expression patterns for factors like epidermal growth factor receptor may have important clinical implications in case of disease refractory to the conventional treatments. Here, we clarified the therapeutic options and genetic alterations in skin metastatic breast cancer patients refractory to standard chemotherapeutics.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2022

Radiation therapy (RT) is a very important treatment for cancer that irradiates a large amount of radiation to lead cancer cells and tissues to death. The progression of RT in the aspect of personalized medicine has greatly advanced over the past few decades in the field of technical precision responding anatomical characteristics of each patient. However, the consideration of biological heterogeneity that makes different effect in individual patients has not actually applied to clinical practice. There have been numerous discovery and validation of biomarkers that can be applied to improve the efficiency of radiotherapy, among which those related to genomic information are very promising developments. These genome-based biomarkers can be applied to identify patients who can benefit most from altering their therapeutic dose and to select the best chemotherapy improving sensitivity to radiotherapy. The genomics-based biomarkers in radiation oncology focus on mutational changes, particularly oncogenes and DNA damage response pathways. Although few have translated into clinically viable tools, there are many promising candidates in this field. In this review the prominent mutation-based biomarkers and their potential for clinical translation will be discussed.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.37-42
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• 2018

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is often encountered in children with acute kidney injury. Besides the well-known shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli-associated HUS, atypical HUS (aHUS) caused by genetic complement dysregulation has been studied recently. aHUS is a rare, chronic, and devastating disorder that progressively damages systemic organs, resulting in stroke, end-stage renal disease, and death. The traditional treatment for aHUS is mainly plasmapheresis or plasma infusion; however, many children with aHUS will progress to chronic kidney disease despite plasma therapy. Eculizumab is a newly developed biologic that blocks the terminal complement pathway and has been successfully used in the treatment of aHUS. Currently, several guidelines for aHUS, including the Korean guideline, recommend eculizumab as the first-line therapy in children with aHUS. Moreover, life-long eculizumab therapy is generally recommended. Further studies on discontinuation of eculizumab are needed.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.424-431
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• 2024

Among the therapeutic strategies in cancer immunotherapy-such as immune-modulating antibodies, cancer vaccines, or adoptive T cell transfer-T cells have been an attractive target due to their cytotoxicity toward tumor cells and the tumor antigen-specific binding of their receptors. Leveraging the unique properties of T cells, chimeric antigen receptor-T cells and T cell receptor (TCR)-T cells were developed through genetic modification of their receptors, enhancing the specificity and effectiveness of T cell therapy. Adoptive cell transfer of chimeric antigen receptor-T cells has been successful for the treatment of hematological malignancies. To expand T cell therapy to solid tumors, T cells are modified to express defined TCR targeting tumor associated antigen, which is called TCR-T therapy. This review discusses anti-tumor T cell therapies, with a focus on engineered TCR-T cell therapy. We outline the characteristics of TCR-T cell therapy and its clinical application to non-hematological malignancies.