• Korean Circulation Journal
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• 제53권6호
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• pp.351-366
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• 2023

Along with the development of immunosuppressive drugs, major advances on xenotransplantation were achieved by understanding the immunobiology of xenograft rejection. Most importantly, three predominant carbohydrate antigens on porcine endothelial cells were key elements provoking hyperacute rejection: α1,3-galactose, SDa blood group antigen, and N-glycolylneuraminic acid. Preformed antibodies binding to the porcine major xenoantigen causes complement activation and endothelial cell activation, leading to xenograft injury and intravascular thrombosis. Recent advances in genetic engineering enabled knock-outs of these major xenoantigens, thus producing xenografts with less hyperacute rejection rates. Another milestone in the history of xenotransplantation was the development of co-stimulation blockaded strategy. Unlike allotransplantation, xenotransplantation requires blockade of CD40-CD40L pathway to prevent T-cell dependent B-cell activation and antibody production. In 2010s, advanced genetic engineering of xenograft by inducing the expression of multiple human transgenes became available. So-called 'multi-gene' xenografts expressing human transgenes such as thrombomodulin and endothelial protein C receptor were introduced, which resulted in the reduction of thrombotic events and improvement of xenograft survival. Still, there are many limitations to clinical translation of cardiac xenotransplantation. Along with technical challenges, zoonotic infection and physiological discordances are major obstacles. Social barriers including healthcare costs also need to be addressed. Although there are several remaining obstacles to overcome, xenotransplantation would surely become the novel option for millions of patients with end-stage heart failure who have limited options to traditional therapeutics.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• 제53권5호
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• pp.313-327
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare but fatal disease. Recent advances in PAH-specific drugs have improved its outcomes, although the healthcare burden of novel therapeutics may lead to a discrepancy in outcomes between developing and developed countries. We analyzed how the epidemiology and clinical features of PAH has changed through the rapidly advancing healthcare infrastructure in South Korea. Methods: PAH was defined according to a newly devised 3-component algorithm. Using a nationwide health insurance claims database, we delineated annual trends in the prevalence, incidence, medication prescription pattern, and 5-year survival of PAH in Korea. Cumulative survival and potential predictors of mortality were also assessed among 2,151 incident PAH cases. Results: Between 2002 or 2004 and 2018, the prevalence and incidence of PAH increased 75-fold (0.4 to 29.9 per million people) and 12-fold (0.5 to 6.3 per million person-years), respectively. The proportion of patients on combination PAH-specific drug therapy has also steadily increased up to 29.0% in 2018. Among 2,151 incident PAH cases (median [interquartile range] age, 50 [37-62] years; 67.2% female), the 5-year survival rate and median survival duration were 71.8% and 13.1 years, respectively. Independent predictors of mortality were age, sex, etiology of PAH, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and chronic kidney disease. Conclusions: This nationwide study delineated that the prevalence and incidence of PAH have grown rapidly in Korea since the early 2000s. The use of combination therapy has also increased, and the 5-year survival rate of PAH in Korea was similar to those in western countries.

• International Journal of Oncology
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• 제56권6호
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• pp.1540-1550
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• 2020

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), gefitinib, is an effective therapeutic drug used in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) harboring EGFR mutations. However, acquired resistance significantly limits the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs and consequently, the current chemotherapeutic strategies for NSCLCs. It is, therefore, necessary to overcome this resistance. In the present study, the anticancer potential of natural extracts of Coptis chinensis (ECC) against gefitinib-resistant (GR) NSCLC cells were investigated in vitro and in vivo. ECC inhibited the viability, migration and invasion, and effectively induced the apoptosis of GR cells. These effects were associated with the suppression of EGFR/AKT signaling and the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, Mcl-1 and Bcl-2, which were overexpressed in GR NSCLC cells. Combination treatment with ECC and gefitinib enhanced the sensitivity of GR cells to gefitinib in vitro, but not in vivo. However, ECC increased the survival of individual zebrafish without affecting the anticancer effect to cancer cells in vivo, which indicated a specific cytotoxic effect of ECC on cancer cells, but not on normal cells; this is an important property for the development of novel anticancer drugs. On the whole, the findings of the present study indicate the potential of ECC for use in the treatment of NSCLC, particularly in combination with EGFR-TKI therapy, in EGFR-TKI-resistant cancers.

• Oncology Letters
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• 제42권5호
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• pp.2029-20238
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• 2019

In vitro culture of patient-derived tumor cells offers many advantages in the development of novel therapies for colorectal cancer. Although various culture systems have been developed, the long-term expansion of patient-derived tumor cells remains challenging. The present results suggested that tumor cells isolated from colorectal cancer patient-derived xenografts can be efficiently immortalized in conditioned medium from irradiated feeder cells containing Y-27632, a rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor. Patient-derived tumor cells proliferated rapidly, reaching 90-95% confluence in ~6 days. Short tandem repeat analysis suggested that these tumor tissues and cultured cells presented 13 identical short tandem repeat loci, including Amelogenin, Penta E, Penta D, D2S1338 and D19S433. Their epithelial phenotype was confirmed by staining for epithelial cell adhesion molecule and cytokeratin 20, whereas vimentin was used as a mesenchymal marker. When cells were transferred to 3D cultures, they continued to proliferate, forming well-defined tumor spheroids. Expression levels of human telomerase reverse transcriptase and C-Myc mRNA were increased in cultured cells. Finally, immortalized cells were used for the screening of 65 anticancer drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration, allowing the identification of gene-drug associations. In the present study, primary culture models of colorectal cancer were efficiently established using a ROCK inhibitor and feeder cells, and this approach could be used for personalized treatment strategies for patients with colorectal cancer.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제32권12호
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• pp.919-928
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• 2022

코로나-19 펜데믹에서 볼 수 있듯이, 새로운 바이러스 감염병의 출현은 전 세계적으로 공중보건에 심각한 우려를 발생시킨다. 특히, 항바이러스제 및 백신의 부재는 감염병의 피해를 더욱 증가시킨다. 식물 유래 천연물은 안전하고 효과적인 항바이러스제 개발의 주요 공급원이다. 본 연구는 한약재 식물의 에탄올추출물의 항바이러스 활성을 분석함으로써 안전성과 효능을 갖는 새로운 항바이러스제 후보물질을 발굴하는 것을 목표로 하였다. 10종의 한약재 에탄올추출물의 항산화활성과 세포독성을 분석한 후 로타바이러스, A형간염바이러스, 독감바이러스에 대한 광범위한 바이러스 사멸활성을 분석하였다. 특히, 마가목과 감초의 추출물은 독감바이러스에 대한 강력한 사멸활성을 나타내었다. 또한, 마가목과 감초의 추출물로 사멸된 독감바이러스의 백신효능과 방어효능을 마우스 모델에서 검증하였다. 추출물로 사멸된 바이러스는 높은 수준의 중화항체를 유도하였으며 야생형 바이러스 공격접종을 효과적으로 방어하는 우수한 백신효능을 나타내었다. 본 연구의 결과는 한약재 유래 천연물을 기반으로 하는 항바이러스제와 사백신 제조를 위한 바이러스 불활화제 개발에 활용될 수 있는 가능성을 제시한다.

• 대한방사성의약품학회지
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.9-16
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• 2023

Liposomes as drug delivery system have proved useful carrier for various disease, including cancer. In addition, perfluorocarbon cored microbubbles are utilized in conjunction with high-intensity focused-ultrasound (HIFU) to enable simultaneous diagnosis and treatment. However, microbubbles generally exhibit lower drug loading efficiency, so the need for the development of a novel liposome-based drug delivery material that can efficiently load and deliver drugs to targeted areas via HIFU. This study aims to develop a liposome-based drug delivery material by introducing a substance that can burst liposomes using ultrasound energy and confirm the ability to target tumors using PET imaging. Liposomes (Lipo-DOX, Lipo-DOX-Au, Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD) were synthesized with gold nanoparticles using an avidin-biotin bond, and doxorubicin was mounted inside by pH gradient method. The size distribution was measured by DLS, and encapsulation efficiency of doxorubicin was analyzed by UV-vis spectrometer. The target specificity and cytotoxicity of liposomes were assessed in vitro by glioblastoma U87mg cells to HIFU treatment and analyzed using CCK-8 assay, and fluorescence microscopy at 6-hour intervals for up to 24 hours. For the in vivo study, U87mg model mouse were injected intravenously with 1.48 MBq of ⁶⁴Cu-labeled Lipo-DOX-Au and Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD, and PET images were taken at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 24 hours. As a result, the size of liposomes was 108.3 ± 5.0 nm at Lipo-DOX-Au and 94.1 ± 12.2 nm at Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD, and it was observed that doxorubicin was mounted inside the liposome up to 52%. After 6 hours of HIFU treatment, the viability of U87mg cells treated with Lipo-DOX-Au decreased by around 20% compared to Lipo-DOX, and Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD had a higher uptake rate than Lipo-DOX. In vivo study using PET images, it was confirmed that ⁶⁴Cu-Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD was taken up into the tumor immediately after injection and maintained for up to 4 hours. In this study, drugs released from liposomes-gold nanoparticles via ultrasound and RGD targeting were confirmed by non-invasive imaging. In cell-level experiments, HIFU treatment of gold nanoparticle-coupled liposomes significantly decreased tumor survival, while RGD-liposomes exhibited high tumor targeting and rapid release in vivo imaging. It is expected that the combination of these models with ultrasound is served as an effective drug delivery material with therapeutic outcomes.

• 대한화학회지
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• 제50권6호
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• pp.464-470
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• 2006

약물인 덱사메타손은 효과적인 염증치료제이다. 그러나 난용성 약물로써 수용액에서 주사제로 가용화가 어렵다. 따라서 º ¿±¸에서는 ¸Þ¸손을 수용액상에서 주사제로 가용화하기 §Ø¼­ 지질로 만들어진 나노입자에 ¸Þ¸손을 봉입하여 체내투여 시 약물을 서서히 방출할 수 ´ 약물전달체를 제조하고자 ¿´´. 지질나노입자는 인지질, 콜레스테롤 ±×¸?簾? 양이온성 지질을 사용하여 자발 유화 ¿매확산법에 의해 제조하였다. ³ª노입자는 다양한 지질 종류와 지질의 함량에 따라서 봉입효율, 기 그리고 표면전하와 °°º ¹°리적 특성을 평가하였다. 기는 80~120 nm ¿´¸¸, 봉입효율은 80% 이상의 높은 효율을 보였다. 질의 지방쇄의 길이가 ±æ¼· 봉입효율은 증가하였고, 콜레스테롤의 량과 봉입효율은 반비례하였다. 나노지질입자는 양이온성 지질 없이는 형성되지 않았으며 ¾온성 지질의 ·?閻?¡ 따라서 봉입효율은 °¡하였다. 덱사메타손이 봉입된 지질나노입자는 난용성 약물을 주사제로 가용화 수 ´ 새로운 약물전달체로써의 가능성을 기대하는 바이다.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제79권4호
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• pp.257-266
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• 2016

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a common interstitial lung disease; it is a chronic, progressive, and fatal lung disease of unknown etiology. Over the last two decades, knowledge about the underlying mechanisms of pulmonary fibrosis has improved markedly and facilitated the identification of potential targets for novel therapies. However, despite the large number of antifibrotic drugs being described in experimental pre-clinical studies, the translation of these findings into clinical practices has not been accomplished yet. NADH:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) is a homodimeric enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of NADH to $NAD^+$ by various quinones and thereby elevates the intracellular $NAD^+$ levels. In this study, we examined the effect of increase in cellular $NAD^+$ levels on bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in mice. Methods: C57BL/6 mice were treated with intratracheal instillation of bleomycin. The mice were orally administered with ${\beta}$-lapachone from 3 days before exposure to bleomycin to 1-3 weeks after exposure to bleomycin. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected for analyzing the infiltration of immune cells. In vitro, A549 cells were treated with transforming growth factor ${\beta}1$ (TGF-${\beta}1$) and ${\beta}$-lapachone to analyze the extracellular matrix (ECM) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Results: ${\beta}$-Lapachone strongly attenuated bleomycin-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis, characterized by histological staining, infiltrated immune cells in BALF, inflammatory cytokines, fibrotic score, and TGF-${\beta}1$, ${\alpha}$-smooth muscle actin accumulation. In addition, ${\beta}$-lapachone showed a protective role in TGF-${\beta}1$-induced ECM expression and EMT in A549 cells. Conclusion: Our results suggest that ${\beta}$-lapachone can protect against bleomycin-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis in mice and TGF-${\beta}1$-induced EMT in vitro, by elevating the $NAD^+$/NADH ratio through NQO1 activation.

• 셀메드
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.5.1-5.8
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• 2014

Healthcare-associated infection represents a frequent cause of mortality that increases hospital costs. Due to increasing microbial resistance to antibiotics, it is necessary to search for alternative therapies. Consequently, novel alternatives for the control of resistant microorganisms have been studied. Among them, plant antimicrobial protein presents enormous potential, with flowers being a new source of antimicrobial molecules. In this work, the antimicrobial activity of protein-rich fractions from flower tissues from 18 different species was evaluated against several human pathogenic bacteria. The results showed that protein-rich fractions of 12 species were able to control bacterial development. Due its broad inhibition spectrum and high antibacterial activity, the protein-rich fraction of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis was subjected to DEAE-Sepharose chromatography, yielding a retained fraction and a non-retained fraction. The retained fraction inhibits 29.5% of Klebsiella pneumoniae growth, and the non-retained fraction showed 31.5% of growth inhibition against the same bacteria. The protein profile of the chromatography fractions was analyzed by using SDS-PAGE, revealing the presence of two major protein bands in the retained fraction, of 20 and 15 kDa. The results indicate that medicinal plants have the biotechnological potential to increase knowledge about antimicrobial protein structure and action mechanisms, assisting in the rational design of antimicrobial compounds for the development of new antibiotic drugs.

• 한국어병학회지
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.31-36
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• 2001

해수에 적응된 뱀장어, Anguilla japonica의 장 세포막으로부터 새로운 clonidine의 결합부위가 있음이 밝혀졌다. Clonidine의 특이적인 결합부위는 적어도 2개의 부위 (high affinity $K_d=1.4{\pm}0.3$ nMn= 5, low affinity $K_d=175{\pm}34$ nM)를 가지고 있었다. 2nM [$^3H$]clonidine의 특이적인 결합은 $20^{\circ}C$, pH 7.5에서 최적 결합능을 가지고 있었고, 라벨되지 않은 clonidine에 의해 가역적인 반응을 보였다. 이러한 결합은 adrenaline, yohimbine과 rauwolscine에 의한 저해능은 약하였다. 그리고 대부분의 결합부위는 $\alpha_2$-adrenoceptor와는 상이하였다. Clonidine의 특이적인 결합은 다양한 imidazoline/guanidinium약물에 의해 억제되었다. Competition 실험의 결과, 2nM[$^3H$]clonidine의 치환 rank order는 다음과 같다. guanabenz > cirazoline = naphazoline=UK14,304= ST587 $\geq$ clonidine $\geq$ idazoxan = RX821002 = tolazoline > ST93 = oxymetazoline = amiloride = ST91 > yohimbine = efaroxan = rauwolscine $\geq$ adrenaline = ST567 = histamine = agmatine. 이러한 순서는 포유류에 분류된 imidazoline receptorl($I_1$), imidazoline receptor 2($I_2$) 및 imidazoline/guanidinium receptive sites(IGRS)형태와는 틀리기 때문에 새로운 imidazoline receptor라고 생각된다. 지금까지 보고된 포유류의 세포와 조직에서 IGRS의 생리학적인 역할은 명확하지 않지만, 해수뱀장어 장은 IGRS의 세포에 있어서의 역할 그리고 IGRS의 내인성(內因性) ligand가 무엇인가에 대한 좋은 모델이 될 수 있다고 생각되어진다.