• 한국동물생명공학회지
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.70-74
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• 2019

The kidney is a highly complex organ, and acute or chronic renal diseases can occur with various complications such as diabetes and hypertension. So far, no target specific treatment is available in acute or chronic renal failure, necessitating the development of alternative therapeutic strategy. Recent experimental findings suggest that the renal function and structure can be restored after being treated with various sources of stem/progenitor cells. In this review, we discuss up-to-date findings of the potential of renal progenitor/stem cells in alleviating renal injuries with a focus on preclinical studies. We also review cellular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic function of these cells.

• BMB Reports
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• 제45권12호
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• pp.700-706
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• 2012

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic as well as being a major risk factor for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and several types of cancers. Obesity is mainly due to the overgrowth of adipose tissue arising from an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Adipose tissue, primarily composed of adipocytes, plays a key role in maintaining whole body energy homeostasis. In view of the treatment of obesity and obesity-related diseases, it is critical to understand the detailed signal transduction mechanisms of adipogenic differentiation. Adipogenic differentiation is tightly regulated by many key signal cascades, including insulin signaling. These signal cascades generally transfer or amplify the signal by using serial tyrosine phosphorylations. Thus, protein tyrosine kinases and protein tyrosine phosphatases are closely related to adipogenic differentiation. Compared to protein tyrosine kinases, protein tyrosine phosphatases have received little attention in adipogenic differentiation. This review aims to highlight the involvement of protein tyrosine phosphatases in adipogenic differentiation and the possibility of protein tyrosine phosphatases as drugs to target obesity.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.275-285
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• 2014

Macrophages, found in circulating blood as well as integrated into several tissues and organs throughout the body, represent an important first line of defense against disease and a necessary component of healthy tissue homeostasis. Additionally, macrophages that arise from the differentiation of monocytes recruited from the blood to inflamed tissues play a central role in regulating local inflammation. Studies of macrophage activation in the last decade or so have revealed that these cells adopt a staggering range of phenotypes that are finely tuned responses to a variety of different stimuli, and that the resulting subsets of activated macrophages play critical roles in both progression and resolution of disease. This review summarizes the current understanding of the contributions of differentially polarized macrophages to various infectious and inflammatory diseases and the ongoing effort to develop novel therapies that target this key aspect of macrophage biology.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.273-277
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• 2007

The purpose of establishing the circulatory disease surveillance system in Korea is to ensure that the problems of circulatory disease importance are being monitored efficiently and effectively. The goals of circulatory disease surveillance system are to monitor the epidemiological trends of circulatory disease and to evaluate the outcome of health activity for controlling circulatory diseases. Surveillance system are being updated to achieve the needs for the integration of the surveillance and information system, the establishment of data standards, the electronic exchange of data, and changes in the goals of circulatory disease surveillance system to facilitate the response of this system to manage the national health problem effectively. This article provides the target diseases and determinant indicators to be monitored, structure of circulatory disease surveillance system, and many tasks and related activities that should be applied to this system.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.97-107
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• 2016

Although many diseases could be treated by the development of modern medicine, there are some incurable diseases including brain cancer, Alzheimer disease, etc. To study human brain cancer, various animal models were reported. Among these animal models, mouse models are valuable tools for understanding brain cancer characteristics. In spite of many mouse brain cancer models, it has been difficult to find a new target molecule for the treatment of brain cancer. One of the reasons is absence of large animal model which makes conducting preclinical trials. In this article, we review a recent study of molecular characteristics of human brain cancer, their genetic mutation and comparative analysis of the mouse brain cancer model. Finally, we suggest the need for development of large animal models using somatic cell nuclear transfer in translational research.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.135-140
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• 2022

Background: Coal mining is a hazardous industry. The purpose of the study is to identify the nature of occupational injuries and diseases among coal miners and to determine the factors that affect the rate of injury and duration of time loss from work. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using accepted workers' compensation claims data of 30,390 Australian coal miners between July 2003 and June 2017. Results: Musculoskeletal and fracture conditions accounted for approximately 60% of claims in all occupational groups. Cox regression analysis showed that older age and female gender were significant predictors of longer time off work. Injury types and occupations were associated with work time loss: mental health conditions, and machine operators and drivers had significantly longer durations of time off work. Conclusion: Future research can further address how these factors led to longer time off work so that coal industry regulators, employers, and healthcare providers can target interventions more effectively to these at-risk workers.

• 한국축산식품학회지
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• 제42권6호
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• pp.981-995
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• 2022

Cognitive dysfunction is a common symptom of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease, and is known to be caused by the structural and functional loss of neurons. Many natural agents that can improve cognitive function have been developed and assessed for efficacy using various cognitive deficit animal models. As the gut environment is known to be closely connected to brain function, probiotics are attracting attention as an effective treatment target that can prevent and mitigate cognitive deficits as a result of neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, the objective of this review is to provide useful information about the types and characteristics of cognitive deficit animal models, which can be used to evaluate the anti-cognitive effects of probiotics. In addition, this work reviewed recent studies describing the effects and treatment conditions of probiotics on cognitive deficit animal models. Collectively, this review shows the potential of probiotics as edible natural agents that can mitigate cognitive impairment. It also provides useful information for the design of probiotic treatments for cognitive deficit patients in future clinical studies.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제46권1호
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• pp.10-20
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• 2023

Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology has become an attractive therapeutic modality for various diseases, including Mendelian disorders. ASOs can modulate the expression of a target gene by promoting mRNA degradation or changing pre-mRNA splicing, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, or translation. Advances in medicinal chemistry and a deeper understanding of post-transcriptional mechanisms have led to the approval of several ASO drugs for diseases that had long lacked therapeutic options. For instance, an ASO drug called nusinersen became the first approved drug for spinal muscular atrophy, improving survival and the overall disease course. Mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene cause cystic fibrosis (CF). Although Trikafta and other CFTR-modulation therapies benefit most CF patients, there is a significant unmet therapeutic need for a subset of CF patients. In this review, we introduce ASO therapies and their mechanisms of action, describe the opportunities and challenges for ASO therapeutics for CF, and discuss the current state and prospects of ASO therapies for CF.

• 대한방사성의약품학회지
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.41-49
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• 2021

Diversity and flexibility are two typical hallmarks of macrophages. Two types of macrophages, M1(classically activated macrophages) and M2(alternatively activated macrophages) exist at both ends of the commonly known macrophage polarization. M1 macrophages have inflammatory properties and are primarily responsible for defending against invading bacteria in our body. On the other hand, M2 macrophages are involved in anti-inflammatory responses and tissue remodeling. Polarized migration of macrophages is of increasing interest in regulating the initiation, generation, and resting phases of inflammatory diseases. In this review, it intend to discuss the properties and functions of tumor-associated macrophages based on polarized macrophages that affect inflammatory diseases. In addition, the purpose of this study is to investigate a molecular imaging approach that targets macrophages that affect tumor growth by controlling the polarization of macrophages that affect tumor diagnosis and treatment.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제86권3호
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• pp.166-175
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• 2023

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The lower airways contain a rich and diverse microbiome, which may play a significant regulatory role in both health and disease. In COPD, the microbiome becomes perturbed, causing dysbiosis. Increased representation of members in the Proteobacteria phylum and certain members in the Firmicutes phylum has been associated with increased risk of exacerbations and mortality. Therapies such as inhaled corticosteroids and azithromycin may modulate the airway microbiome or its metabolites in patients with COPD. This paper provides an up-to-date overview of the airway microbiome and its importance in the pathophysiology of COPD and as potential therapeutic target in the future.