• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.66 no.4
• /
• pp.356-381
• /
• 2023

Although immunotherapy has been broadly successful in the treatment of hematologic malignancies and a subset of solid tumors, its clinical outcomes for glioblastoma are still inadequate. The results could be due to neuroanatomical structures such as the blood-brain-barrier, antigenic heterogeneity, and the highly immunosuppressive microenvironment of glioblastomas. The antitumor efficacy of endogenously activated effector cells induced by peptide or dendritic cell vaccines in particular has been insufficient to control tumors. Effector cells, such as T cells and natural killer (NK) cells can be expanded rapidly ex vivo and transferred to patients. The identification of neoantigens derived from tumor-specific mutations is expanding the list of tumor-specific antigens for glioblastoma. Moreover, recent advances in gene-editing technologies enable the effector cells to not only have multiple biological functionalities, such as cytokine production, multiple antigen recognition, and increased cell trafficking, but also relieve the immunosuppressive nature of the glioblastoma microenvironment by blocking immune inhibitory molecules, which together improve their cytotoxicity, persistence, and safety. Allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells edited to reduce graft-versus-host disease and allorejection, or induced pluripotent stem cell-derived NK cells expressing CARs that use NK-specific signaling domain can be a good candidate for off-the-shelf products of glioblastoma immunotherapy. We here discuss current progress and future directions for T cell and NK cell therapy in glioblastoma.

• THE JOURNAL OF KOREAN ORIENTAL ONCOLOGY
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.65-73
• /
• 2003

The researches for tumor and the developments for new anti-tumor medicine are being continuously developed in the oriental as well as the west. The principles therapy of anti-tumor activity was based on knowledge of the method of support the healthy energy and strengthen the body resistance, promote blood circulation to remove blood stasis, clear away heat and toxic materials, dissipate phlegm and disperse the accumulation of evils. But the major clinical features of tumor was to be considered in developing a treatment plan include (1) distinguish between clinical and pathologic staging - acute and chronic, (2) classification of pathologic pattern, and (3) distinction of body situation : for examples asthenia - sthenia etc. It was most important to distinguish between supporting the healthy and eliminating the evil factors and to treat differently at the root and the branch cause of a neoplasm. In clinical study and experimental study, the effects of oriental medicine could be summarized as three that were decreasing toxicity of chemo-therapy, directly suppressing and killing cancerous cell and increasing chemo-effect through preventing metastasis. Improving organic immunity with oriental medicine could be summarized as five that were promoting phagocytosis of macrophage, inducing interferon, promoting formation of immnoglobulin, increasing number of T-cell and promoting transformation of lymphocyte. It is suggested that effective use of immune activating herbs inhibited metastasis and decreased recurrence and then we were able to expect increasing survival rate and improving clinical symptoms and quality of life(QOL) of tumor patients.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.196-206
• /
• 2021

The main purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between the consumption of red ginseng-based 'SSR' for 30 days and the reduction in human fatigue, blood component changes, and immune cell activity in 35 human subjects. 'SSR' is composed of zinc oxide, folic acid, and D-α-tocopherol with red ginseng as the main component. According to the protocol criteria of the study, 35 subjects who understood the purpose of the study and signed an informed consent form were selected. The fatigue survey was conducted through a questionnaire, and after taking 'SSR', a decreased tendency of physical, mental, and neurosensory fatigue was observed. In hematological analysis, no significant changes were observed in the levels of WBC, RBC, and hemoglobin; however, AST (SGOT) and ALT (SGPT) levels were statistically significantly decreased. In immunological analysis, it was observed that the proliferative effect of T cells (CD3+CD4+) was greater than that of NK cells (CD16+CD56+). The collected data were subjected to t-test analysis using the SPSS 25.0 statistical program. The result from this study proposes that 'SSR' can be used as a functional food material as it reduces human fatigue and enhances immune function.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.36-41
• /
• 2014

Skin disease is one of the most common diseases and its incidence is increasing dramatically in modern society. Specially, many attempts have been made to treat chronic skin inflammation diseases, such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, but effective therapies for the immune cell-mediated skin diseases, including psoriasis and atopic dermatitis have not been developed. Until recently, several drug candidates which were claimed to be effective for skin diseases have been reported, but most of them are not used to treat chronic skin disease. Especially, Psoriasis is characterized by excessive growth and aberrant differentiation of keratinocytes, but is fully reversible with appropriate therapy. The trigger of the keratinocyte response is thought to be activation of the cellular immune system, with T cells and various immune-related cytokines. Formation of new blood vessels starts with early psoriatic changes and disappears with disease clearance. Several angiogenic mediators are up-regulated in psoriasis development. Contact- and mediator-dependent factors derived from keratinocytes, mast cells and immune cells may contribute to the strong blood vessel formation of psoriasis. New technologies and experimental models provide new insights into the role of angiogenesis in psoriasis pathogenesis. TMP and its derivatives themselves effectively inhibited in vitro cell migration, tube formation, and the expression of angiogenic factors. However, TMP and its derivatives induced side effects including hemolysis and local side effects. Therefore, in an attempt to reduce the toxicity and the undesirable side effects of TMP and derivatives, a liposomal formulation was prepared and tested for its effectiveness. TMP and derivatives liposomes retained the effectiveness of TMP in vitro while side effects were reduced. These results support the conclusion that TMP effectively inhibits in vitro angiogenesis, with the possibility that use as a psoriasis relief agent.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.609-617
• /
• 2013

Renal cell carcinomas make up 3% of all cancers and one in four patients is metastatic at time of diagnosis. This cancer is one of the most resistant to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Studies have shown that the efficiency of interferon-alpha and/or interleukin-2 based immune therapies is limited in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma but latest advances in molecular biology and genetic science have resulted in better understanding of its biology. Tumor angiogenesis, tumor proliferation and metastasis develop by the activation of signal message pathways playing a role in the development of renal cell carcinomas. Better definition of these pathways has caused an increase in preclinic and clinical studies into target directed treatment of renal cell carcinoma. Many recent studies have shown that numerous anti-angiogenic agents have marked clinical activity. In this article, the focus is on general characteristics of molecular pathways playing a major role in renal cell carcinoma, reviewing clinical information onagents used in the target directed treatment of metastatic lesions.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.16
• /
• pp.6813-6823
• /
• 2015

Glioblastoma, also known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is the most aggressive of human brain tumors and has a stunning progression with a mean survival of one year from the date of diagnosis. High cell proliferation, angiogenesis and/or necrosis are histopathological features of this cancer, which has no efficient curative therapy. This aggressiveness is associated with particular heterogeneity of the tumor featuring multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations, but also with implications of aberrant signaling driven by growth factors. The transforming growth factor ${\beta}$ ($TGF{\beta}$) superfamily is a large group of structurally related proteins including $TGF{\beta}$ subfamily members Nodal, Activin, Lefty, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and growth and differentiation factor (GDF). It is involved in important biological functions including morphogenesis, embryonic development, adult stem cell differentiation, immune regulation, wound healing and inflammation. This superfamily is also considered to impact on cancer biology including that of GBM, with various effects depending on the member. The $TGF{\beta}$ subfamily, in particular, is overexpressed in some GBM types which exhibit aggressive phenotypes. This subfamily impairs anti-cancer immune responses in several ways, including immune cells inhibition and major histocompatibility (MHC) class I and II abolishment. It promotes GBM angiogenesis by inducing angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-I) and insulinlike growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7), contributes to GBM progression by inducing metalloproteinases (MMPs), "pro-neoplastic" integrins (${\alpha}v{\beta}3$, ${\alpha}5{\beta}1$) and GBM initiating cells (GICs) as well as inducing a GBM mesenchymal phenotype. Equally, Nodal promotes GICs, induces cancer metabolic switch and supports GBM cell proliferation, but is negatively regulated by Lefty. Activin promotes GBM cell proliferation while GDF yields immune-escape function. On the other hand, BMPs target GICS and induce differentiation and sensitivity to chemotherapy. This multifaceted involvement of this superfamily in GBM necessitates different strategies in anti-cancer therapy. While suppressing the $TGF{\beta}$ subfamily yields advantageous results, enhancing BMPs production is also beneficial.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.10
• /
• pp.5637-5644
• /
• 2013

The definite molecular mechanisms underlying the genesis of nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPCs) remain to be completely elucidated. miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs which are implicated in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and even carcinogenesis through negatively regulating gene expression post-transcriptionally. EBV was the first human virus found to express miRNAs. EBV-encoded BART-miRNAs and dysregulated cellular miRNAs are involved in carcinogenesis of NPC by interfering in the expression of viral and host cell genes related to immune responses and perturbing signal pathways of proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis and even radio-chemo-therapy sensitivity. Additional studies on the roles of EBV-encoded miRNAs and cellular miRNAs will provide new insights concerning the complicated gene regulated network and shed light on novel strategies for the diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of NPC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.5
• /
• pp.1719-1722
• /
• 2012

The Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein family Verprolin - homologous proteins (WAVEs), encoded by a metastasis promoter gene, play considerable roles in adhesion of immune cells, cell proliferation, migration and destruction of foreign agents by reactive oxygen species. These diverse functions have lead to the hypothesis that WAVE proteins have multi-functional roles in regulating cancer invasiveness, metastasis, development of tumor vasculature and angiogenesis. Differentials in expression of WAVE proteins are associated with a number of neoplasms include colorectal cancer, hepatocellular cancer, lung squamous cell carcinoma, human breast adenocarcinoma and prostate cancer. In this review we attempt to unify our knowledge regarding WAVE proteins, focusing on their potentials as diagnostic markers and molecular targets for cancer therapy.

• Korean Journal of Transplantation
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.157-169
• /
• 2017

Regulatory T cells (Treg) naturally rein in immune attacks, and they can inhibit rejection of transplanted organs and even reverse the progression of autoimmune diseases in mice. The initial safety trials of Treg against graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) provided evidence that the adoptive transfer of Treg is safe and capable of limiting disease progression. Supported by such evidence, numerous clinical trials have been actively investigating the efficacy of Treg targeting autoimmune diseases, type I diabetes, and organ transplant rejection, including kidney and liver. The limited quantity of Treg cells harvested from peripheral blood and subsequent in vitro culture have posed a great challenge to large-scale clinical application of Treg; nevertheless, the concept of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor)-Treg has emerged as a potential resolution to the problem. Recently, two CAR-T therapies, tisagenlecleucel and axicabtagene ciloleucel, were approved by the US FDA for the treatment of refractory or recurrent acute lymhoblastic leukemia. This approval could serve as a guideline for the production protocols for other genetically engineered T cells for clinical use as well. The phase I and II clinical trials of these agents has demonstrated that genetically engineered and antigen-targeting T cells are safe and efficacious in humans. In conclusion, both the promising results of Treg cell therapy from the clinical studies and the recent FDA approval of CAR-T therapies are paving the way for CAR-Treg therapy in clinical use.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.308-317
• /
• 2021

Cancer is the leading cause of death and is on the rise worldwide. Until 2010, the development of targeted treatment was mainly focused on the growth mechanisms of cancer. Since then, drugs with mechanisms related to tumor immunity, especially immune checkpoint inhibitors, have proven effective, and most pharmaceutical companies are striving to develop related drugs. Programmed cell death-1 and programmed cell death ligand-1 inhibitors have shown great success in various cancer types. They showed durable and sustainable responses and were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, the response to inhibitors showed low percentages of cancer patients; 15% to 20%. Therefore, combination strategies with immunotherapy and conventional treatments were used to overcome the low response rate. Studies on combination therapy have typically reported improvements in the response rate and efficacy in several cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, and urogenital cancers. The combination of chemotherapy or targeted agents with immunotherapy is one of the leading pathways for cancer treatment.