• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.379-385
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• 2007

Receptor-oriented pharmacophore-based in silico screening is a powerful tool for rapidly screening large number of compounds for interactions with a given protein. Inhibition of the enzyme catechol-Omethyltransferase (COMT) offers a novel possibility for treating Parkinson's disease. Bisubstrate inhibitors of COMT containing the adenine of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and a catechol moiety are a new class of potent and selective inhibitor. In the present study, we used receptor-oriented pharmacophore-based in silico screening to examine the interactions between the active site of human COMT and bisubstrate inhibitors. We generated 20 pharmacophore maps, of which 4 maps reproduced the docking model of hCOMT and a bisubstrate inhibitor. Only one of these four, pharmacophore map I, effectively described the common features of a series of bisubstrate inhibitors. Pharmacophore map I consisted of one hydrogen bond acceptor (to Mg2+), three hydrogen bond donors (to Glu199, Glu90, and Gln120), and one hydrophobic feature (an active site region surrounded by several aromatic and hydrophobic residues). This map represented the most essential pharmacophore for explaining interactions between hCOMT and a bisubstrate inhibitor. These results revealed a pharmacophore that should help in the development of new drugs for treating Parkinson's disease.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2009

Neuropathic pain is often refractory to intervention because of the complex etiology and an incomplete understanding of the mechanisms behind this type of pain. Glial cells, specifically microglia and astrocytes, are powerful modulators of pain and new targets of drug development for neuropathic pain. Glial activation could be the driving force behind chronic pain, maintaining the noxious signal transmission even after the original injury has healed. Glia express chemokine, purinergic, toll-like, glutaminergic and other receptors that enable them to respond to neural signals, and they can modulate neuronal synaptic function and neuronal excitability. Nerve injury upregulates multiple receptors in spinal microglia and astrocytes. Microglia influence neuronal communication by producing inflammatory products at the synapse, as do astrocytes because they completely encapsulate synapses and are in close contact with neuronal somas through gap junctions. Glia are the main source of inflammatory mediators in the central nervous system. New therapeutic strategies for neuropathic pain are emerging such as targeting the glial cells, novel pharmacologic approaches and gene therapy. Drugs targeting microglia and astrocytes, cytokine production, and neural structures including dorsal root ganglion are now under study, as is gene therapy. Isoform-specific inhibition will minimize the side effects produced by blocking all glia with a general inhibitor. Enhancing the anti-inflammatory cytokines could prove more beneficial than administering proinflammatory cytokine antagonists that block glial activation systemically. Research on therapeutic gene transfer to the central nervous system is underway, although obstacles prevent immediate clinical application.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.8-13
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• 2020

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and relapsing inflammatory disease that affects 1%-20% of people worldwide. Despite affecting many people, AD current treatments, such as corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors, have not only harmful secondary effects but are also often ineffective. Therefore, natural nontoxic compounds are on high demand for developing new effective AD treatments. Panax ginseng Meyer has been used traditionally for its promising healing and restorative properties to treat many diseases including skin disorders, reason why in this review we want to explore the research performed with AD and P. ginseng as well as determining its potential for new drug development. Previous researches have shown that P. ginseng has positive effects in AD patients such as lower eczema area and severity index, transepidermal water loss, and immunoglobulin E levels and better quality of sleep. In vivo animal models, as well, have shown positive results to P. ginseng and derived ginsenosides, such as the decrease of transepidermal water loss, immunoglobulin E levels in serum, allergy-related cytokines, and downregulation of NF-κB, MAPK, and Ikaros pathways. All of these previous data suggest that P. ginseng and its derived ginsenosides are undoubtedly a nontoxic effective option to treat AD.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.432-441
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• 2013

It's been almost 20 years since the adoption of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in Korea since 1994. There have been big progresses in the GMP regulations and its implementations. 'New GMP' in 2008 has adopted validation, pre-approval GMP evaluation, annual quality review, etc.. Upon the submission of PIC/S (Pharmaceutical Inspection Cooperation Scheme) application by Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in April, 2012, Korea is facing new opportunity to level up Korea GMP regulations. As such, this study suggested GMP revision points by comparing and analyzing the differences between PIC/S GMP and Korea GMP. Those areas which GMP is not required such as radiopharmaceuticals and medical gases should adopt GMP. And independent GMP regulation is needed for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and investigational medicinal products. Also, those regulations shall be implemented in the higher level of legal status. Finally, rather than pursuing GMP harmonization only for PIC/S membership, GMP improvement in the long term shall be taken into consideration by reflecting current quality issues such as ICH Q8 (Pharmaceutical development), Q9 (Quality Risk Management) and Q10 (Pharmaceutical Quality System).

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.357-364
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• 2014

Medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children, is a disease whose mechanisms are now beginning to be uncovered by high-throughput studies of somatic mutations, mRNA expression patterns, and epigenetic profiles of patient tumors. One emerging theme from studies that sequenced the tumor genomes of large cohorts of medulloblastoma patients is frequent mutation of RNA binding proteins. Proteins which bind multiple RNA targets can act as master regulators of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level to co-ordinate cellular processes and alter the phenotype of the cell. Identification of the target genes of RNA binding proteins may highlight essential pathways of medulloblastomagenesis that cannot be detected by study of transcriptomics alone. Furthermore, a subset of RNA binding proteins are attractive drug targets. For example, compounds that are under development as anti-viral targets due to their ability to inhibit RNA helicases could also be tested in novel approaches to medulloblastoma therapy by targeting key RNA binding proteins. In this review, we discuss a number of RNA binding proteins, including Musashi1 (MSI1), DEAD (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp) box helicase 3 X-linked (DDX3X), DDX31, and cell division cycle and apoptosis regulator 1 (CCAR1), which play potentially critical roles in the growth and/or maintenance of medulloblastoma.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.103-112
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• 2001

Bone homeostasis is maintained by a balance between activities of osteoblasts(bone forming cells) and osteoclasts (bone resorbing cells). The activities of these cells are closely regulated by multiple factors including hormones and cytokines. The cessation of estrogen at menopause disrupts the balanced regulation and is the main cause of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Recent molecular biological studies led to a discovery of tumor necrosis factor(TNF) and TNF receptor families genes that play critical roles in the regulation of osteoclast formation and function. RANKL (receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand; also called ODF, TRANCE, and OPGL) expressed on cells supporting osteoclast is essential for osteoclast differentiation, activation, and survival. RANK, the counter-receptor for RANKL, is expressed on progenitor and mature osteoclasts. The interaction between RANKL and RANK is requlated by a soluble decoy receptor OPG (osteoprotegerin). Gene knock out studies of these molecules showed profound effects on bone. These results prompted development of new strategies for treatment of bone diseases. Inhibition of osteoclast activity by blocking the RANKL-RANK interaction using OPG is being attempted. Research on the signaling pathways of RANK is also actively carried out. Screening natural products that inhibit the RANKL-RANK interaction or the activity of obteoclasts would be another effective means to a new drug target for bone resorbing diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.218-229
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• 2011

Lepimectin is a insecticide agent. In order to register this new pesticide, the series of toxicity data on animal testing were reviwed to evaluate its hazards to consumers and to determine its acceptable daily intake. Lepimectin was mostly excreted by feces. It has low acute oral toxicity while it has no dermal, ocular irritation and skin sensitization (As the result of subchronic, chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity showed changes of hematology and clinical biochemistry parameter of serum and blood.). Two-generation reproduction toxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity and prenatal development toxicity were not proven. Therefore, the ADI for Lepimectin is 0.02 mg/kg/ bw/day, based on the NOAEL of 2.02 mg/kg/ bw/day of two-years carcinogenic toxicity study in rats and applying an uncertainty factor of 100.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.185-193
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• 1996

Extensive acquirement of drug resistance to traditional antibacterial agents poses a serious problem to eel aquaculturists. To collect the basic information for new drug development in the future, we assessed the in vitro antibacterial efficacy of 14 new quinolones with 75 isolates of Edwardsiella tarda from local aquaculture tanks of Anguilla japonica. Of all tested quinolones under development or marketed for human use, DU-6859 was most potent with its $MIC_{50}$ value of $0.05{\mu}g$/ml in broth microdilution assay. The drugs whose $MIC_{50}$ values ranged from 0.2 to $0.78{\mu}g$/ml were T-3762, Bay-y3118, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxcin and tosufloxacin. The weakest group of drugs, with their $MIC_{50}$ being 1.56-$3.13{\mu}g$/ml, were difloxacin, sparfloxacin, fleroxacin, Q-35, amifloxacin, lomefloxacin and enoxacin. The number of resistant strains, when arbitrarily defined with their MICs of $\geq6.25{\mu}g$/ml, was : 3 to T-3762, 3 to Bay-y3118, 44 to difloxacin, 16 to sparfloxacin, 13 to ciprofloxacin, 19 to fleroxacin, 36 to Q-35). 31 to amifloxacin, 5 to norfloxacin, 13 to ofloxacin, 31 to lomefloxacin, 41 to enoxacin, 12 to tosufloxacin and 0% to DU-6859, respectively. This information can be taken into consideration for the future development of fisheries antibacterial quinolones.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.343-349
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• 2017

tWith the development of the third-generation gene scissors, CRISPR-Cas9, concerns are being raised about ethical and social repercussions of the new gene-editing technology. In this situation, this article explores the legislation and interpretation of the positive laws in South Korea. The BioAct does not specify and regulate 'gene editing' itself. However, assuming that genetic editing is used in the process of research and treatment, we can look to the specific details of the regulations for research on humans as well as gene therapy research in order to see how genetic editing is regulated under the BioAct. BioAct differentiates the regulation between (born) humans and embryos etc. and the regulation differ entirely in the manner and scope. Moreover, due to the fact that gene therapy products are regarded as drugs, they fall under different regulations. The Korean Pharmacopoeia Act put stringent sanctions on clinical trials for gene therapy products and the official Notification "Approval and Examination Regulations for Biological Products, etc." by Food and Drug Safety Administration may be applied to gene editing for gene therapy purposes.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.375-383
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• 2013

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) related to hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections is thought to account for more than 80% of primary liver cancers. Both HBV and HCV can establish chronic liver inflammatory infections, altering hepatocyte and liver physiology with potential liver disease progression and HCC development. Cyclophilin A (CypA) has been identified as an essential host factor for the HCV replication by physically interacting with the HCV non structural protein NS5A that in turn interacts with RNA-dependent RNA polymerase NS5B. CypA, a cytosolic binding protein of the immunosuppressive drug cyclosporine A, is overexpressed in many cancer types and often associated with malignant transformation. Therefore, CypA can be a good target for molecular cancer therapy. Because of antiviral activity, the CypA inhibitors have been tested for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Nonimmunosuppressive Cyp inhibitors such as NIM811, SCY-635, and Alisporivir have attracted more interests for appropriating CypA for antiviral chemotherapeutic target on HCV infection. This review describes CypA inhibitors as a potential HCC treatment tool that is contrived by their obstructing chronic HCV infection and summarizes roles of CypA in cancer development.