• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
• /
• 제24권2호
• /
• pp.101-111
• /
• 2020

Coiled-coil domain containing 110 (CCDC110, KM-HN-1) is a protein containing C-terminal coiled-coil domain (CCD) which was previously discovered as a member of the human cancer/testis antigen (CTA). In addition, CCDC110 has both nuclear localization signal sequence and the leucine zipper motif. Although the functional role of CCDC110 has yet to be fully identified, the mRNA expression levels of CCDC110 are known to be highly elevated in various cancer types including testis, implying its relevance to cancer pathogenesis. In this study, we first developed several monoclonal antibody (mAb) hybridoma clones targeting CCDC110 and further isolated clone by characterizing for its specificity using immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation approaches with basal parenchymal sperm cells in testis tissue. Next, using these mAbs, we showed that the Tet-inducible overexpression of CCDC110 protein delayed the entry of G2/M phase in U2-OS osteosarcoma cells. Based on these results, we propose that CCDC110 plays a crucial role in cell cycle progression.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• 제6권2호
• /
• pp.167-170
• /
• 2002

The long terminal repeats (LTRs) of human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) have been found to be coexpressed with sequences of closely located genes. It has been suggested that the LTR elements have contributed to the structural change or genetic variation of human genome connected to various diseases and evolution. We examined the HERV-W LTR elements in various cancer cells (2F7, A43l , A549, HepG2, MIA-PaCa-2, PC-3, RT4, SiHa, U-937, and UO-31). Using genomic DNA from the cancer cells, we performed PCR amplification and identified twelve new HERV-W LTR elements. Those LTR elements showed a high degree of sequence similarity (88-99％) with HERV-W LTR (AF072500). A phylogenetic tree obtained by the neighbor-joining method revealed that HERV-W LTR elements could be mainly divided into two groups through evolutionary divergence. Three HERV-W LTR elements (RT4-2, A43l-1, and UO3l-2) belonged to Group 1, whereas nine LTR elements (2F7-2, A549-1, A549-3, HepG2-3, MP2-2, PC3-1, SiHa-8, SiHa-10, and U937-1) belonged to Group 11. Taken together, our new sequence data of the HERV-W LTR elements may contribute to an understanding of tissue-specific cancer by genomic instability of LTR integration.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• 제22권2호
• /
• pp.103-110
• /
• 2005

Phellodendri Cortex (PC) has been used traditionally in Korea for damp heat leukorrhea with thick, yellow, discharge, foul-smelling diarrhea or dysentery. We investigated whether the Phellodendri Cortex Herbal-acupuncture Solution (PCHS) induced cell-death on SNU-17, human cervical cancer cell. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was performed to find out the cytotoxicity of PCHS. The cell death was identified as apoptosis from the results of 4, 6-diamidineo-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining, terminal deoxy-nucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The expression of proapototic gene, Bax, was increased and the expression of apoptotic gene, Caspase-3, was also increased. Considering the above results, PCHS could induce the apoptosis on SNU-17, human cervical cancer cell, via Bax-related Caspase-3 activation. And it might provide the experimental data for the clinical use of Phellodendri Cortex on cervical cancer.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제54권8호
• /
• pp.425-430
• /
• 2021

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and may increase the risk of adverse outcomes in lung cancer patients. In this study, we investigated the expression and function of mucin 1 (MUC1) after SARS-CoV-2 infection in the lung epithelial cancer cell line Calu-3. MUC1 is a major constituent of the mucus layer in the respiratory tract and contributes to pathogen defense. SARS-CoV-2 infection induced MUC1 C-terminal subunit (MUC1-C) expression in a STAT3 activation-dependent manner. Inhibition of MUC1-C signaling increased apoptosis-related protein levels and reduced proliferation-related protein levels; however, SARS-CoV-2 replication was not affected. Together, these results suggest that increased MUC1-C expression in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection may trigger the growth of lung cancer cells, and COVID-19 may be a risk factor for lung cancer patients.

• 대한약침학회지
• /
• 제25권1호
• /
• pp.52-62
• /
• 2022

Objectives: Snake venom is a complex mixture of various pharmacologically active substances, such as small proteins, peptides, and organic and mineral components. This paper aims to identify and analyse the proteins in common venomous snakes, such as Gloydius blomhoffii (G. blomhoffii) and Agkistrodon acutus (A. acutus), in Korea. Methods: We used mass spectrometry, electrophoresis, N-terminal sequencing and in-gel digestion to analyse the proteins in these two snake venoms. Results: We identified eight proteins in G. blomhoffii venom and four proteins in A. acutus venom. The proteins detected in G. blomhoffii and A. acutus venoms were phospholipase A₂, snake venom metalloproteinase and cysteine-rich secretory protein. Snake C-type lectin (snaclec) was unique to A. acutus venom. Conclusion: These data will contribute to the current knowledge of proteins present in the venoms of viper snakes and provide useful information for investigating their therapeutic potential.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• 제25권2호
• /
• pp.76-84
• /
• 2022

Purpose: We compared cost-effectiveness parameters between inpatient and home-based hospice-palliative care services for terminal cancer patients in Korea. Methods: A decision-analytic Markov model was used to compare the cost-effectiveness of hospice-palliative care in an inpatient unit (inpatient-start group) and at home (home-start group). The model adopted a healthcare system perspective, with a 9-week horizon and a 1-week cycle length. The transition probabilities were calculated based on the reports from the Korean National Cancer Center in 2017 and Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service in 2020. Quality of life (QOL) was converted to the quality-adjusted life week (QALW). Modeling and cost-effectiveness analysis were performed with TreeAge software. The weekly medical cost was estimated to be 2,481,479 Korean won (KRW) for inpatient hospice-palliative care and 225,688 KRW for home-based hospice-palliative care. One-way sensitivity analysis was used to assess the impact of different scenarios and assumptions on the model results. Results: Compared with the inpatient-start group, the incremental cost of the home-start group was 697,657 KRW, and the incremental effectiveness based on QOL was 0.88 QALW. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of the home-start group was 796,476 KRW/QALW. Based on one-way sensitivity analyses, the ICER was predicted to increase to 1,626,988 KRW/QALW if the weekly cost of home-based hospice doubled, but it was estimated to decrease to -2,898,361 KRW/QALW if death rates at home doubled. Conclusion: Home-based hospice-palliative care may be more cost-effective than inpatient hospice-palliative care. Home-based hospice appears to be affordable even if the associated medical expenditures double.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• 제20권1호
• /
• pp.95-105
• /
• 2020

Purpose: Gastric cancer is a highly metastatic malignant tumor, often characterized by chemoresistance and high mortality. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the role of B-cell lymphoma 3 (Bcl-3) protein on cell migration and chemosensitivity of gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: The gastric cancer cell lines, AGS and NCI-N87, were used for the in vitro studies and the in vivo studies were performed using BALB/c nude mice. Western blotting, wound healing assay, Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, immunohistochemistry, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay were used to evaluate the role of Bcl-3 in gastric cancer. Results: We found that the protein expression of hypoxia (HYP)-inducible factor-1α and Bcl-3 were markedly upregulated under hypoxic conditions in both AGS and NCI-N87 cells in a time-dependent manner. Interestingly, small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of Bcl-3 expression affected the migration and chemosensitivity of the gastric cancer cells. AGS and NCI-N87 cells transfected with si-RNA-Bcl-3 (si-Bcl-3) showed significantly reduced migratory ability and increased chemosensitivity to oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and irinotecan. In addition, si-Bcl-3 restored the autophagy induced by HYP. Further, the protective role of si-Bcl-3 on the gastric cancer cells could be reversed by the autophagy inducer, rapamycin. Importantly, the in vivo xenograft tumor experiments showed similar results. Conclusions: Our present study reveals that Bcl-3 knockdown inhibits cell migration and chemoresistance of gastric cancer cells through restoring HYP-induced autophagy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제15권2호
• /
• pp.695-701
• /
• 2014

The main objective of palliative treatment for cancer patients has been to maintain, if not improve, the quality of life (QoL). There is a lack of local data on satisfaction and QoL among cancer patients receiving palliative treatment in Malaysia. This study covers patients with incurable, progressive cancer disease receiving palliative treatment in a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, comparing the different components of QoL and correlations with patient satisfaction. A cross-sectional survey using Malay validated SF36 QoL and PSQ-18 (Short Form) tools was carried out between July 2012 -January 2013 with 120 cancer patients receiving palliative treatment, recruited into the study after informed consent using convenient sampling. Results showed that highest satisfaction were observed in Communication Aspect ($50.6{\pm}9.07$) and the least in General Satisfaction ($26.4{\pm}5.90$). The Mental Component Summary ($44.9{\pm}6.84$) scored higher when compared with the Physical Component Summary ($42.2{\pm}7.91$). In this study, we found that patient satisfaction was strongly associated with good quality of life among cancer patients from a general satisfaction aspect (r=0.232). A poor significant negative correlation was found in Physical Component (technical quality, r=-0.312). The Mental Component showed there was a poor negative correlation between time spent with doctor (r=-0.192) and accessibility, (r=-0.279). We found that feeling at peace and having a sense of meaning in life were more important to patients than being active or achieving good physical comfort. More studyis needed to investigate patients who score poorly on physical and mental component aspects to understand their needs in order to achieve better cancer care.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• 제72권4호
• /
• pp.343-351
• /
• 2012

Background: The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling axis has emerged as a novel target for cancer therapy. Agents that inhibit this pathway are currently under development for lung cancer treatment. In the present study, we have tested whether dual inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling can lead to enahnced antitumor effects. We have also examined the role of autophagy during this process. Methods: We analyzed the combination effect of the mTOR inhibitor, temsirolimus, and the Akt inhibitor, GSK690693, on the survival of NCI-H460 and A549 non-small cell lung cancer cells. Cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay and apoptosis induction was evaluated by flow cytometry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Autophagy induction was also evaluated by acridine orange staining. Changes of apoptosis or autophagy-related proteins were evaluated by western blot analysis. Results: Combination treatment with temsirolimus and GSK690693 caused synergistically increased cell death in NCI-H460 and A549 cells. This was attributable to increased induction of apoptosis. Caspase 3 activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage accompanied these findings. Autophagy also increased and inhibition of autophagy resulted in increased cell death, suggesting its cytoprotective role during this process. Conclusion: Taken together, our results suggest that the combination of temsirolimus and GSK690693 could be a novel strategy for lung cancer therapy. Inhibition of autophagy could also be a promising method of enhancing the combination effect of these drugs.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• 제34권9호
• /
• pp.2629-2634
• /
• 2013

Fisetin is a naturally occurring flavonoid with some anti-cancer and anti-inflammation capabilities. In this study, we perform docking studies between human c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK 1) and fisetin and proposed a binding model of fisetin and JNK 1, in which the hydroxyl groups of the B ring and oxygen at the 4-position of the C ring play key roles in binding interactions with JNK. Fluorescence quenching and saturation-transfer difference (STD) NMR experiments showed that fisetin exhibits good binding affinity to JNK, $1.32{\times}10^8M^{-1}$. The anti-inflammatory activity of fisetin was also investigated. Fisetin significantly suppressed tumor necrosis factor, the NO production, and macrophage inflammatory cytokine release in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 mouse macrophages. We found that the anti-inflammatory cascade of fisetin was mediated through the JNK, and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 pathways. Our findings suggest the potential of fisetin as an anti-inflammatory agent.