• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.303-306
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• 1998

Serine proteinase cDNA fragment from protozoan parasite Acanthamoeba culbertsoni was amplified by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) using degenerate oligonucleotide primers derived from conserved serine proteinase sequences. The amplified DNA fragment was subcloned and sequenced. The sequence analysis and alignment showed significant sequence similarity to other eukaryotic serine proteinases and conservation of the His, Asp, and Ser residues that form the catalytic triad. The cDNA fragment was cloned into the pGEMEX-1 expression vector and expressed in Escherichia coli. A resulting fusion protein of 56 kDa had proteolytic activity. The fusion protein reacted with sera of mice immunized with purified serine proteinase of A. culbertsoni in Western blot. Immune recognition of the fusion protein by mouse antisera suggested that the fusion protein may be valuable as a diagnostic reagent.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.341-348
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• 1993

Automated system to analyze liver function test results is presented based on fuzzy logic knowledge. Clinician's knowledge and experience was first expressed in linguistic terms fol- lowed by conversion to numerical values to create membership functions of disease possibility for each test item and liver disease. Membership functions were then compensated for different relative importances of test items. Liver diseases considered were acute viral hepatitis (AVH), chronic persistent hepatitis(CPH), chronic active hepatitis(CAH), and liver cirrhosis(LC), Liver function test results of alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate amino- transferase(AST) , glutamate dehydrogenase(GDH), ornithine carbamyltransferase(OCT) , ALT/AST, and 10* GDH/ALT in 218 patients were analyzed by the present system, welch resulted in 80% accuracy. AVH and CAH showed the highest 93 % and the lowest 58% ac- curacies, respectively, which was similar to the clinician's expectation. The simple mathemat- ical formulation of the present system would enable an easy implementation in commercial analysis instruments. Also, the identical fuzzy logic can be applied to similar diagnostic envi- ronments in general.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.55 no.11
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• pp.445-448
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• 2012

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) is a benign self-limiting disease characterized by fever and lymphadenitis. The etiology and pathogenesis of KFD is unclear. However, two hypotheses have been suggested: a viral infection hypothesis and an autoimmune hypothesis. Several KFD patients with various types of autoimmune diseases have been reported, and these reports support the hypothesis for autoimmune pathogenesis of KFD. Here, we report the case of a 17-year-old female patient diagnosed with KFD and autoimmune thyroiditis. This case serves as additional evidence that the etiology of KFD is autoimmune origin.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.688-691
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• 2000

Ferritin, an iron-storage protein, is found in bacteria and some animal tissues such as liver, spleen, and bone marrow. It is more effective and causes less side reactions than the traditional ferrous sulfate, and thus has been used primarily to treat iron deficiency in pregnancy anaemia. Currently, the ferritin extracted from the bovine and equine spleens are sold as a commercial product. Its market is estimated as several hundreds of million US dollars. However, because of the recent warnings against the viral diseases of animal origins such as mad cow disease, a safer ferritin is sought after. Our research team has successfully developed a production process for recombinant human ferritin. Its expression titer from yeast is high enough to be economically viable, and its particle formation characteristics are as effective as well.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.207-212
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• 2012

Retroviruses have often been used for gene therapy because of their capacity for the long-term expression of transgenes via stable integration into the host genome. However, retroviral integration can also result in the transformation of normal cells into cancer cells, as demonstrated by the incidence of leukemia in a recent retroviral gene therapy trial in Europe. This unfortunate outcome has led to the rapid initiation of studies examining various biological and pathological aspects of retroviral integration. This review summarizes recent findings from these studies, including the global integration patterns of various types of retroviruses, viral and cellular determinants of integration, implications of integration for gene therapy and retrovirus-mediated infectious diseases, and strategies to shift integration to safe host genomic loci. A more comprehensive and mechanistic understanding of retroviral integration processes will eventually make it possible to generate safer retroviral vector platforms in the near future.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.115-115
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• 2003

Naturally occurring sugar mimics with a nitrogen in the ring are classified into five structural classes: polyhydroxylated pyrrolidines, piperidines, indolizidines. pyrrolizidine, and nortropanes. Glycosidase are involved in a wide range of important biological processes, such as intestinal digestion, post-translational processing of glycoproteins and the lysosomal catabolism of glycoconjugate. The realization that alkaloidal sugar mimics might have enormous therapeutic potential in many diseases such as viral infection, cancer and diabetes has led to increasing interest and demand for these compounds. Most of these effects can be shown to result from the direct or indrect inhibition of glycosidases.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.561-571
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• 2016

Marine biosphere is the largest one of the earth and harbors an enormous number of different organisms. Living conditions differ fundamentally from those in terrestrial environment. The production of specific secondary metabolites is an important adaption mechanism of marine organisms to survive in the sea. These metabolites possess biological activities which make them interesting as possible drugs for human. The review presents sources, chemistry, production and pharmacology of FDA approved marine derived pharmaceuticals arranged according to their therapeutic indication. Four of the presently seven approved drugs are used for the treatment of cancer. Each another one is applicated for treatment of viral diseases, chronic pain and to lower triglyceride level in blood. Some other products are of interest in diagnostic and as experimental tools. Besides, this article describes challenges in drug development from marine sources, especially the supply problem.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.209-213
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• 2008

Following the Anthrax bioterrorism attacks in the US in 2001, the Korean government established comprehensive countermeasures against bioterrorism. These measures included the government assuming management of all infectious agents that cause diseases, including smallpox, anthrax, plaque, botulism, and the causative agents of viral hemorrhagic fevers (ebola fever, marburg fever, and lassa fever) for national security. In addition, the Korean government is reinforcing the ability to prepare and respond to bioterrorism. Some of the measures being implemented include revising the laws and guidelines that apply to the use of infectious agents, the construction and operation of dual surveillance systems for bioterrorism, stockpiling and managing products necessary to respond to an emergency (smallpox vaccine, antibiotics, etc.) and vigorously training emergency room staff and heath workers to ensure they can respond appropriately. In addition, the government's measures include improved public relations, building and maintaining international cooperation, and developing new vaccines and drugs for treatments of infectious agents used to create bioweapons.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.43-43
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• 2003

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) are an acute viral enteritis. colibacillosis by E coli is a microbial enteritic disease in suckling piglets[1]. These infectious intestinal diarrheal diseases cause severe diarrhea to suckling piglets, so that lead to enormous economical loss in swine-product industries. Ig-Top (AD Biotech, Korea) is a immunomodulator with IgY the specific yolk-antibody for PED, TGE and E. coli and oligosaccharide. The purpose of this study was to investigate protective effects against PED virus, TGE virus E.coli and in suckling piglets by oral administration of the Ig-Top. (omitted)

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.198-201
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• 2004

Rotavirus is a most common etiologic viral agent of pediatric gastroenteritis. Most newborns infected by rotavirus show no specific symptoms, yet, some of neonates can develop serious complications such as intestinal perforation, necrotizing enterocolitis or even death. And rotavirus infection may cause only neurologic manifestation such as seizure without gastrointestinal manifestations in some neonates. We experienced a case of neonatal rotavirus infection with benign convulsion without gastrointestinal manifestations, and report this case with literature review as followings.