• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.4.1-4.14
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• 2024

Background: Lawsonia intracellularis is the causative agent of proliferative enteropathy and is associated with several outbreaks, causing substantial economic loss to the porcine industry. Objectives: In this study, we focused on demonstrating the protective effect in the mouse model through the immunological bases of two vaccine strains against porcine proliferative enteritis. Methods: We used live-attenuated Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) secreting two selected immunogenic LI antigens (Lawsonia autotransporter A epitopes and flagellin [FliC]-peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein-FliC) as the vaccine carrier. The constructs were cloned into a Salmonella expression vector (pJHL65) and transformed into the ST strain (JOL912). The expression of immunogenic proteins within Salmonella was evaluated via immunoblotting. Results: Immunizing BALB/c mice orally and subcutaneously induced high levels of LI-specific systemic immunoglobulin G and mucosal secretory immunoglobulin A. In immunized mice, there was significant upregulation of interferon-γ and interleukin-4 cytokine mRNA and an increase in the subpopulations of cluster of differentiation (CD) 4⁺ and CD 8⁺ T lymphocytes upon splenocytes re-stimulation with LI antigens. We observed significant protection in C57BL/6 mice against challenge with 10^6.9 times the median tissue culture infectious dose of LI or 2 × 10⁹ colony-forming units of the virulent ST strain. Immunizing mice with either individual vaccine strains or co-mixture inhibited bacterial proliferation, with a marked reduction in the percentage of mice shedding Lawsonia in their feces. Conclusions: Salmonella-mediated LI gene delivery induces robust humoral and cellular immune reactions, leading to significant protection against LI and salmonellosis.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.5.1-5.22
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• 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has developed as a pandemic, and it created an outrageous effect on the current healthcare and economic system throughout the globe. To date, there is no appropriate therapeutics or vaccines against the disease. The entire human race is eagerly waiting for the development of new therapeutics or vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Efforts are being taken to develop vaccines at a rapid rate for fighting against the ongoing pandemic situation. Amongst the various vaccines under consideration, some are either in the preclinical stage or in the clinical stages of development (phase-I, -II, and -III). Even, phase-III trials are being conducted for some repurposed vaccines like Bacillus Calmette-Guérin, polio vaccine, and measles-mumps-rubella. We have highlighted the ongoing clinical trial landscape of the COVID-19 as well as repurposed vaccines. An insight into the current status of the available antigenic epitopes for SARS-CoV-2 and different types of vaccine platforms of COVID-19 vaccines has been discussed. These vaccines are highlighted throughout the world by different news agencies. Moreover, ongoing clinical trials for repurposed vaccines for COVID-19 and critical factors associated with the development of COVID-19 vaccines have also been described.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.323-333
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• 2024

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were once used throughout various industries; however, because of their persistence in the environment, exposure remains a global threat to the environment and human health. The Kv1.3 and Kv1.5 channels have been implicated in the immunotoxicity and cardiotoxicity of PCBs, respectively. We determined whether 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB77), a dioxin-like PCB, alters human Kv1.3 and Kv1.5 currents using the Xenopus oocyte expression system. Exposure to 10 nM PCB77 for 15 min enhanced the Kv1.3 current by approximately 30.6%, whereas PCB77 did not affect the Kv1.5 current at concentrations up to 10 nM. This increase in the Kv1.3 current was associated with slower activation and inactivation kinetics as well as right-shifting of the steady-state activation curve. Pretreatment with PCB77 significantly suppressed tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-10 production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated Raw264.7 macrophages. Overall, these data suggest that acute exposure to trace concentrations of PCB77 impairs immune function, possibly by enhancing Kv1.3 currents.

• Clinical Nutrition Research
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.269-282
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• 2023

Vitamin D participates in the biological function of the innate and adaptive immune system and inflammation. We aim to specify the effectiveness of the vitamin D supplementation on the side effects BioNTech, Pfizer vaccination, and immunoglobulin G response against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in subjects tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this multi-center randomized clinical trial, 498 people tested positive for COVID-19 were divided into 2 groups, receiving vitamin D capsules or a placebo (1 capsule daily, each containing 600 IU of vitamin D) over 14-16 weeks. Anthropometric indices and biochemical parameters were measured before and after the second dose of vaccination. Fourteen to 16 weeks after supplementation, the intervention group had an immunoglobulin G (IgG) increase of 10.89 ± 1.2 g/L, while the control group had 8.89 ± 1.3 g/L, and the difference was significant between both groups (p = 0.001). After the second dose of vaccination, the supplement group significantly increased their 25-hydroxy vitamin D from initially 28.73 ± 15.6 ng/mL and increased to 46.48 ± 27.2 ng/mL, and the difference between them was significant. Those with a higher body mass index (BMI) had the most of symptoms, and the difference of side effects according to BMI level was significantly different. In 8 weeks after supplementation obese participants had the lowest IgG levels than overweight or normal subjects. The proportion of all types of side effects on the second dose was significantly diminished compared with the first dose in the intervention group. Supplementation of 600 IU of vitamin D3 can reduce post-vaccination side effects and increase IgG levels in participants who received BioNTech, Pfizer vaccine.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.1-12
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• 2023

Objectives : The aim of this study is to analyze the news articles related to Korean Medicine(KM) and compare trends in news reports from 2018 to 2022. Method : News articles related to KM were collected through the BigKinds, the news bigdata service of the Korea Press Foundation. News reports from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2022 were searched. 2,950 news articles out of a total of 12,497 met the inclusion criteria. First, quantitative changes in media coverage were analyzed by year, media outlet, and month. For qualitative analysis, two authors independently coded the content of news articles, discussed them until consensus, and consulted with a third researcher to classify them. In addition, keywords extracted by the BigKind's Topic Rank algorithm were compared and analyzed in each year. Results : The number of news articles on KM decreased by 42% in 2022 compared to 2018. Over a fiveyear period, the Naeil Shinmun reported the most on KM among newspapers, while the Hankyoreh did the least. Among broadcasters, YTN reported the most and SBS did the least. When analyzing the reports by category, the most common was 'treatment', followed by 'prevention' and 'scientification'. As a result of extracting keywords with high weight and frequency, 'immunity' and 'immune system' ranked the first and second in 2018, while 'COVID 19' and 'medical law violation' did in 2022. Conclusion : The decrease in media reports on KM during the COVID-19 epidemic period seems to be due to the limited role of KM in responding to infectious diseases, and efforts to expand the scope of KM can induce increased media reports and social interest.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.353-373
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• 2023

Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made with salted fermented vegetables and contains various nutrients and functional substances with potential health benefits. The fermentation process used to make kimchi creates chemical changes in the food, developing nutrients and functional substances that are more easily absorbed and enhanced by the body. Recent studies have shown that several lactic acid bacteria strains isolated from kimchi exhibit probiotic properties and have several health benefiting properties such as such as anticancer, anti-obesity, and anti-constipation; they also promote colon health and cholesterol reduction in in vitro and in vivo experiments, as well as in epidemiological cohort studies. Kimchi contains prebiotics, non-digestible fibers that nourish beneficial gut bacteria; therefore, its intake effectively provides both probiotics and prebiotics for improved gut health and a fortified gut-derived immune system. Furthermore, fermentation of kimchi produces a variety of metabolites that enhance its functionality. These metabolites include organic acids, enzymes, vitamins, bioactive compounds, bacteriocins, exopolysaccharides, and γ-aminobutyric acid. These diverse health-promoting metabolites are not readily obtainable from single food sources, positioning kimchi as a valuable dietary option for acquiring these essential components. In this review, the health functionalities of kimchi ingredients, lactic acid bacteria strains, and health-promoting metabolites from kimchi are discussed for their properties and roles in kimchi fermentation. In conclusion, consuming kimchi can be beneficial for health. We highlight the benefits of kimchi consumption and establish a rationale for including kimchi in a balanced, healthy diet.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.59-69
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• 2024

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) such as human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells, and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)-hESCs can permanently self-renew while maintaining their capacity to differentiate into any type of somatic cells, thereby serving as an important cell source for cell therapy. However, there are persistent challenges in the application of hPSCs in clinical trials, where one of the most significant is graft rejection by the patient immune system in response to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatch when transplants are obtained from an allogeneic (non-self) cell source. Homozygous SCNT-hESCs (homo-SCNT-hESCs) were used to simplify the clinical application and to reduce HLA mismatch. Here, we present a xeno-free protocol that confirms the efficient generation of neural precursor cells in hPSCs and also the differentiation of dopaminergic neurons. Additionally, there was no difference when comparing the HLA expression patterns of hESC, homo-SCNT-hESCs and hetero-SCNT-hESCs. We propose that there are no differences in the differentiation capacity and HLA expression among hPSCs that can be cultured in vitro. Thus, it is expected that homo-SCNT-hESCs will possess a wider range of applications when transplanted with neural precursor cells in the context of clinical trials.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1222-1228
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• 2024

Protein-specific antibodies are essential for various aspects of protein research, including detection, purification, and characterization. When specific antibodies are unavailable, protein tagging is a useful alternative. Small epitope tags, typically less than 10 amino acids, are widely used in protein research due to the simple modification through PCR and reduced impact on the target protein's function compared to larger tags. The 2B8 epitope tag (RDPLPFFPP), reported by us in a previous study, has high specificity and sensitivity to the corresponding antibody. However, when attached to the C-terminus of the target protein in immunoprecipitation experiments, we observed a decrease in detection signal with reduced immunity and low protein recovery. This phenomenon was not unique to 2B8 and was also observed with the commercially available Myc tag. Our study revealed that C-terminal tagging of small epitope tags requires the addition of more than one extra amino acid to enhance (restore) antibody immunities. Moreover, among the amino acids we tested, serine was the best for the 2B8 tag. Our findings demonstrated that the interaction between a small epitope and a corresponding paratope of an antibody requires an extra amino acid at the C-terminus of the epitope. This result is important for researchers planning studies on target proteins using small epitope tags.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.66 no.5
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• pp.876-890
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• 2024

A balanced intestinal microbiome controls intestinal bacterial diseases, helps regulate immunity, and digests and utilizes nutrients, ultimately having a positive effect on the productivity of industrial animals. Yeasts help in the digestion process by breaking down indigestible fibers and producing organic acids, vitamins, and minerals. In particular, polysaccharides such as beta-glucan and mannan-oligosaccharides, which are present in the cell wall of yeast, inhibit the adhesion of pathogens to the surface of the gastrointestinal tract and increase resistance to disease to help maintain and improve intestinal health. Among the yeast additives used in animal feed, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the most commonly used probiotics. However, it does not naturally reside in the intestine, so if it is supplied in combination with other species of probiotics that can compensate for it, many benefits and synergies can be expected for pigs in terms of maintaining intestinal health such as supplementing the immune system and improving digestion. A number of previous studies have demonstrated that dietary complex probiotic supplementation has growth-promoting effects in pigs, suggesting that multiple strains of probiotics may be more effective than single strain probiotics due to their additive and synergistic effects. In practice, however, the effects of complex probiotics are not always consistent, and can be influenced by a variety of factors. Therefore, this review comprehensively examines and discusses the literature related to the effects of complex probiotics using Saccharomyces cerevisiae in pig production.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.23-34
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• 2024

Milk, which is often referred to as a healthy beverage, is the first food encountered at birth. During digestion, A1-type milk often leads to digestive disorders due to increased levels of 𝛽-casomorphin-7. It also tends to induce inflammatory responses in the gut immune system by altering the gut microbiota and triggering conditions such as diabetes and respiratory hypersensitivity. In contrast, A2-type milk is gaining attention because of fewer associated problems than A1 milk and its unique functional benefits. However, information on the efficacy of A2 milk relies primarily on limited clinical and animal trial data, and substantiating its efficacy and functional superiority remains a challenge. Therefore, various studies, including research on the distinctive efficacy and functions of A2 milk compared with conventional A1 milk and investigations into the mechanisms underlying its effects on human health following consumption, are necessary in the future.