• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2012

Because the average human life span has recently increased, the number of patients who are diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases has escalated. Recent advances in stem cell research have given us access to unlimited numbers of multi-potent or pluripotent cells for screening for new drugs for neurodegenerative diseases. Neural stem cells (NSCs) are a good model with which to screen effective drugs that increase neurogenesis. Recent technologies for human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can provide human cells that harbour specific neurodegenerative disease. This article discusses the use of NSCs, ESCs and iPSCs for neurodegenerative drug screening and toxicity evaluation. In addition, we introduce drugs or natural products that are recently identified to affect the stem cell fate to generate neurons or glia.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.400.1-400.1
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• 2016

Interfacial engineering approaches as an efficient strategy for improving the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of inverted polymer solar cells (iPSCs) has attracted considerable attention. Recently, polymer surface modifiers, such as poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) and polyethylenimine ethoxylated (PEIE), were introduced to produce low WF electrodes and were reported to have good electron selectivity for inverted polymer solar cells (iPSCs) without an n-type metal oxide layer. To obtain more efficient solar cells, quantum dots (QDs) are used as effective sensitizers across a broad spectral range from visible to near IR. Additionally, they have the ability to efficiently generate multiple excitons from a single photon via a process called carrier multiplication (CM) or multiple exciton generation (MEG). However, in general, it is very difficult to prepare a bilayer structure with an organic layer and a QD interlayer through a solution process, because most solvents can dissolve and destroy the organic layer and QD interlayer. To present a more effective strategy for surpassing the limitations of traditional methods, we studied and fabricated the highly efficient iPSCs with mono-layered QDs as an effective multi-functional layer, to enhance the quantum yield caused by various effects of QDs monolayer. The mono-layered QDs play the multi-functional role as surface modifier, sub-photosensitizer and electron transport layer. Using this effective approach, we achieve the highest conversion efficiency of ~10.3% resulting from improved interfacial properties and efficient charge transfer, which is verified by various analysis tools.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2018

Pluripotent stem cell (PSC) variations can cause significant differences in the efficiency of cardiac differentiation. This process is unpredictable, as there is not an adequate indicator at the undifferentiated stage of the PSCs. We compared global gene expression profiles of two PSCs showing significant differences in cardiac differentiation potential. We identified 12 up-regulated genes related to heart development, and we found that 4 genes interacted with multiple genes. Among these genes, Gata6 is the only gene that was significantly induced at the early stage of differentiation of PSCs to cardiomyocytes. Gata6 knock-down in PSCs decreased the efficiency of cardiomyocyte production. In addition, we analyzed 6 mESC lines and 3 iPSC lines and confirmed that a positive correlation exists between Gata6 levels and efficiency of differentiation into cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, Gata6 could be utilized as a biomarker to select the best PSC lines to produce PSC-derived cardiomyocytes for therapeutic purposes.

• Electronic Materials Letters
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.712-717
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• 2018

In this letter, we have introduced copper chloride ($CuCl_2$) as an additive in the $CH_3NH_3PbI_3$ precursor solution to improve the surface morphology and crystallinity of $CH_3NH_3PbI_3$ films in a single solvent system. Our optimized perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with 2.5 mol% $CuCl_2$ additive showed best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.22%. The PCE of the PSCs fabricated by $CuCl_2$ (2.5 mol%) additive engineering was 56% higher than the PSC fabricated with pristine $CH_3NH_3PbI_3$.

• Ceramist
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.98-111
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• 2018

The lead-based perovskite (CH3NH3PbI3) material has a high molar coefficient, high crystallinity at low temperature, and long range of balanced electron-hole transport length. In addition, PCE of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has been dramatically improved by over 22% by amending the electronic quality of perovskite and by using state-of-the-art hole transporting materials (HTMs) such as tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,9'-spirobifluorene (spiro-OMeTAD) due to enhanced charge transport toward the electrode via properly aligned energy levels with respect to the perovskite. Replacing the spiro-OMeTAD with new HTMs with the desired properties of appropriate energy levels, high hole mobility in its pristine form, low cost, and easy processable materials is necessary for attaining highly efficient and stable PSCs, which are anticipated to be truly compatible for practical application. Furthermore, Recently Pb-free perovskite materials much attention as an alternative light-harvesting active layer material instead of lead based perovskite in photovoltaic cells. In this work, we demonstrate a Pb-free perovskite material for the light harvesting and emitter as optoelectronic devices.

• BMB Reports
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• v.52 no.8
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• pp.482-489
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• 2019

Reproductive biotechnology has developed rapidly and is now able to overcome many birth difficulties due to infertility or the transmission of genetic diseases. Here we introduce the next generation of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), such as mitochondrial replacement technique (MRT) or genetic correction in eggs with micromanipulation. Further, we suggest that the transmission of genetic information from somatic cells to subsequent generations without gametes should be useful for people who suffer from infertility or genetic diseases. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) can be converted into germ cells such as sperm or oocytes in the laboratory. Notably, germ cells derived from nuclear transfer embryonic stem cells (NT-ESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) inherit the full parental genome. The most important issue in this technique is the generation of a haploid chromosome from diploid somatic cells. We hereby examine current science and limitations underpinning these important developments and provide recommendations for moving forward.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.200-209
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• 2019

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been used as promising tools for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and drug screening. Traditional and common strategies for pluripotent stem cell (PSC) differentiation toward disease-relevant cell types depend on sequential treatment of signaling molecules identified based on knowledge of developmental biology. However, these strategies suffer from low purity, inefficiency, and time-consuming culture conditions. A growing body of recent research has shown efficient cell fate reprogramming by forced expression of single or multiple transcription factors. Here, we review transcription factor-directed differentiation methods of PSCs toward neural, muscle, liver, and pancreatic endocrine cells. Potential applications and limitations are also discussed in order to establish future directions of this technique for therapeutic purposes.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.31-35
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• 2014

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are capable of unlimited self-renewal and can give rise to all three germ layers, thereby providing a new platform with which to study mammalian development and epigenetic reprogramming. However, iPSC generation may result in subtle epigenetic variations, such as the aberrant methylation of the Dlk1-Dio3 locus, among the clones, and this heterogeneity constitutes a major drawback to harnessing the full potential of iPSCs. Vitamin C has recently emerged as a safeguard to ensure the normal imprinting of the Dlk1-Dio3 locus during reprogramming. Here, we show that vitamin C exerts its effect in a manner that is independent of the reprogramming kinetics. Moreover, we demonstrate that reprogramming cells under 2i conditions leads to the early upregulation of Prdm14, which in turn results in a highly homogeneous population of authentic pluripotent colonies and prevents the abnormal silencing of the Dlk1-Dio3 locus.

• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.6.1-6.12
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• 2012

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complicated neurodegenerative disorder although it is oftentimes defined by clinical motor symptoms originated from age dependent and progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain. The pathogenesis of PD involves dopaminergic and nondopaminergic neurons in many brain regions and the molecular mechanisms underlying the death of different cell types still remain to be elucidated. There are indications that PD causing disease processes occur in a global scale ranging from DNA to RNA, and proteins. Several PD-associated genes have been reported to play diverse roles in controlling cellular functions in different levels, such as chromatin structure, transcription, processing of mRNA, translational modulation, and posttranslational modification of proteins. The advent of quantitative high throughput screening (HTS) tools makes it possible to monitor systemic changes in DNA, RNA and proteins in PD models. Combined with dopamine neuron isolation or derivation of dopamine neurons from PD patient specific induced pluripotent stem cells (PD iPSCs), HTS techonologies will provide opportunities to draw PD causing sequences of molecular events in pathologically relevant PD samples. Here I discuss previous studies that identified molecular functions in which PD genes are involved, especially those signaling pathways that can be efficiently studied using HTS methodologies. Brief descriptions of quantitative and systemic tools looking at DNA, RNA and proteins will be followed. Finally, I will emphasize the use and potential benefits of PD iPSCs-derived dopaminergic neurons to screen signaling pathways that are initiated by PD linked gene mutations and thus causative for dopaminergic neurodegneration in PD.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.209-214
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• 2010

Cells that have endogenous multipotent properties can be used as a starting source for the generation of induced pluripotent cells (iPSC). In addition, small molecules associated with epigenetic reprogramming are also widely used to enhance the multi- or pluripotency of such cells. Skinderived precursor cells (SKPs) are multipotent, sphereforming and embryonic neural crest-related precursor cells. These cells can be isolated from a juvenile or adult mammalian dermis. SKPs are also an efficient starting cell source for reprogramming and the generation of iPSCs because of the high expression levels of Sox2 and Klf4 in these cells as well as their endogenous multipotency. In this study, valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, was tested in the generation of iPSCs as a potential enhancer of the reprogramming potential of SKPs. SKPs were isolated from the back skins of 5-6 week old C57BL/6 X DBA/2 F1 mice. After passage 3, the SKPs was treated with 2 mM of VPA and the quantitative real time RT-PCR was performed to quantify the expression of Oct4 and Klf4 (pluripotency specific genes), and Snai2 and Ngfr (neural crest specific genes). The results show that Oct4 and Klf4 expression was decreased by VPA treatment. However, there were no significant changes in neural crest specific gene expression following VPA treatment. Hence, although VPA is one of the most potent of the HDAC inhibitors, it does not enhance the reprogramming of multipotent skin precursor cells in mice.