• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.558-558
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• 2012

최근의 원자간력현미경(AFM)은 soft한 생체물질을 비파괴적 방법 및 나노크기의 분해능으로 여러 구조적, 물리적 특성 측정이 가능하여 bio분야에 다양이 활용되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 AFM을 이용하여 줄기세포인 BM MSC(bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell)가 신경세포로 분화 여부를 측정하는 방법을 보고하고자 한다. 신경세포의 신호전달은 시냅스에서 신경전달물질을 매개로 하여 이루어지는데, 신경전달물질 중에 D-Glutamic acid는 시냅스후세포에서 흥분성 전위 크기를 증가시킨 상태를 장기간 유지시켜주는 물질로, 특정물질인 Glutamate와 항원-항체 결합을 한다. 본 연구에서는 이 두 물질간의 항원-항체 반응을 활용하여 줄기세포의 신경세포로 분화 여부를 AFM으로 측정하였다. 먼저, 수용성 시료인 두 물질을 증류수에 용해시켜 Mica 기판에 그 용액을 떨어뜨려 자연건조로 시료를 준비한 후, AFM으로 형태 및 크기를 측정하였다. D-Glutamic acid와 Glutamate는 구형 입자 형태를 보였으며, Glutamate의 너비는 ~100 nm이고, D-Glutamic acid는 ~50 nm였다. 두 물질이 든 용액을 섞었을 때, 항원-항체 반응에 의해 다른 크기의 두 구형입자가 붙어 있는 형태가 관찰되었다. 이 반응을 활용하여, 신경세포에서 분비되는 신경전달물질인 D-Glutamic acid를 선별하였다. DMEM 배지에 신경암세포주인 SH-SY5Y 를 접종한 후 $37.6^{\circ}C$의 incubator에서 24시간 배양하고, 화학적 자극(60~70 mM의 KCl 용액을 주입함)을 주어 신경전달물질 분비를 유도하였다. 그 배지에 항체 Glutamate 를 주입하여 자연건조 시킨 후 항원-항체 결합특성을 AFM으로 측정하여, 항원-항체 결합된 이미지와 동일함을 확인하였다. 결과적으로 AFM을 이용한 신경전달물질의 항원-항체 결합여부 측정을 통해, BM MSC 줄기세포의 신경세포로 분화를 판단할 수 있으며, 이 방법은 줄기세포의 특정 세포로의 분화 여부 판단에 활용될 것으로 기대된다.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.59-69
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• 1997

The histological and histochemical study of the body of axis and 1st intervertebral disc in the Korean native cattle fetus was attempted to early developmental process. The experimental animals used in this study were collected from fetus of the Korean native cattle ranging from 50mm to 180mm in Crown-Rump length(CR-length). The results were summerized as follows: 1. The ossification centers appeared centrum 1 and centrum 2 of the axis in 110mm CR-length fetus of the Korean native cattle. The centrum 2 was formed little earlier than the centrum 1. 2. The histochemical reactions for collagenous fibers in the axis revealed negative in 50mm CR-length, mild positive in 90mm CR-length, and strong positive in 110mm CR-length, respectively. 3. Dense collagenous fibers were observed in the notochord through the centrum 2, and intervertebral disc developed into cuneiform dorsoventrally, It's contour looks like an annual ring. These fiber bundle arranged lamellar formation. 4. The intervertabral disc of 50mm CR-length fetus was composed mainly mesenchymal cells, and these cell showed aggregation in the central portion. The intervertebral disc of 110mm CR-length fetus was consisted of pricipally fibroblast, and notochordal sheath formed with two layers in the center.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1769-1776
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• 2020

As part of our current work to discover structurally and/or biologically novel compounds from Korean wild mushrooms, we isolated five ergostane-type steroids (1-5) from the fruiting bodies of Xerula furfuracea via repeated column chromatographic separations and HPLC purification. The chemical structures of the isolated steroids were shown to be (22E,24R)-24-methylcholesta-4,22-diene-3,6-dione (1), ergosta-7,22-diene-3β,5α,6β-triol (2), ergosta-7,22-diene-3β,5α,6β,9α-tetraol (3), (22E,24R)-5α,8α-epidioxyergosta-6,22-diene-3β-ol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), and (22E,24R)-5α,8α-epidioxyergosta-6,9,22-triene-3β-ol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (5)based on comparison of the data regarding their spectroscopic and physical properties with those of previous studies. Notably, this is the first report on the presence of the identified steroids (1-5) in this mushroom. We tested compounds 1-5 to determine their effects on adipogenesis and osteogenesis in the mouse mesenchymal stem cell line C3H10T1/2 and found that compounds 4 and 5 suppressed the differentiation of stem cells into adipocytes. Notably, in addition to its suppressive effect on adipogenesis, compound 5 was also shown to promote the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. These findings demonstrate that the bioactive compounds isolated might be effective for the treatment of menopause-associated syndromes, such as osteoporosis and obesity, as the isolated compounds were shown to suppress adipogenesis and/or promote osteogenesis of stem cells.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.483-499
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• 1995

Mandibular first molars of the rats were undertaken to observe the radiosensitivity of amelogenesis. Twenty four Sprague-Dawley rats received 396cGy radiation with the MK Cell irradiator using Cs-137, and twenty four rats served as control. They were devided into two groups; Group 1 which received radiation at the 14th day after gestation and group 2 which received radiation at the 19th day after gestation. Light Microscopy and Transmitted Electron Microscopy investigation was undertaken in the group 1 at the 15th, 18th, 20th, 22nd(2 days after birth), and 25th day(5 days after birth) after gestation, and in the group 2 at the 21th(birth day), 22nd(2 days after birth), and 25th(5 days after birth) day after gestation. The following histopathologic findings were obtained. 1. Compared with control group, experimental group showed a delayed formation of enamel and dentin due to slow rate of differentiation of undifferentiated mesenchymal cells. 2. In the experimental groups, the arrangement of the inner enamel epithelium was irregular and there were many vacuoles in the cytoplasm. There were dilated rER and mitochondria, increase of the intercellular space, and loss of the cellular polarity. 3. In the group 1, early enamel without Tomes' process, and early organic matrix was observed at the 25th day after gestation. 4. In the group 2, histopathologic changes were similar to those of the group 1, but the degree of changes was more severe than that of the group 1.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.8
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• pp.550-557
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• 2017

The periodontal ligament (PDL) is the connective tissue between tooth root and alveolar bone containing mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). It has been suggested that human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) differentiate into osteo/cementoblast and ligament progenitor cells. The periodontitis is a representative oral disease where the PDL tissue is collapsed, and regeneration of this tissue is important in periodontitis therapy. Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) stimulates proliferation and differentiation of fibroblastic MSCs into various cell lineages. We evaluated the dose efficacy of FGF-2 for cytodifferentiation of hPDLSCs into ligament progenitor. The fibrous morphology was highly stimulated even at low FGF-2 concentrations, and the expression of teno/ligamentogenic markers, scleraxis and tenomodulin in hPDLSCs increased in a dose dependent manner of FGF-2. In contrast, expression of the osteo/cementogenic markers decreased, suggesting that FGF-2 might induce and maintain the ligamentogenic potential of hPDLSCs. Although the stimulation of tenocytic maturation by $TGF-{\beta}1$ was diminished by FGF-2, the inhibition of the expression of early ligamentogenic marker by $TGF-{\beta}1$ was redeemed by FGF-2 treatment. The stimulating effect of BMPs on osteo/cementogenesis was apparently suppressed by FGF-2. These results indicate that FGF-2 predominantly differentiates the hPDLSCs into teno/ligamentogenesis, and has an antagonistic effect on the hard tissue differentiation induced by BMP-2 and BMP-4.

• Biomaterials and Biomechanics in Bioengineering
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.105-114
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of cryopreservation on dental pulp-derived stem cells (DPSC) viability over a period of three years. Dental pulp-derived stem cells were isolated and cultured from thirty-one healthy teeth. DPSC isolates were assessed for doubling-time and baseline viability prior to cryopreservation and were assessed again at three time points; one week (T1), 18 months (T2), and 36 months (T3). DPSC can be grouped based on their observed doubling times; slow (sDT), intermediate (iDT), and rapid (rDT). Viability results demonstrated all three types of DPSC isolates (sDT, iDT and rDT) exhibit time-dependent reductions in viability following cryopreservation, with the greatest reduction observed among sDT-DPSCs and the smallest observed among the rDT-DPSC isolates. Cryopreserved DPSCs demonstrate time-dependent reductions in cellular viability. Although reductions in viability were smallest at the initial time point (T1) and greatest at the final time point (T3), these changes were markedly different among DPSC isolates with similar doubling times (DTs). Furthermore, the analysis of various DPSC biomarkers - including both intracellular and cell surface markers, revealed differential mRNA expression. More specifically, the relative high expression of Sox-2 was only found only among the rDT isolates, which was associated with the smallest reduction in viability over time. The expression of Oct4 and NANOG were also higher among rDT isolates, however, expression was comparatively lower among the sDT isolates that had the highest reduction in cellular viability over the course of this study. These data may suggest that some biomarkers, including Sox-2, Oct4 and NANOG may have some potential for use as biomarkers that may be associated with either higher or lower cellular viability over long-term storage applications although more research will be needed to confirm these findings.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.299-305
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• 2012

Endochondral bone formation is the process by which mesenchymal cells condense to become chondrocytes, which ultimately form new bone. The process of chondrogenic differentiation and hypertrophy is critical for bone formation and as such is regulated by many factors. In this study, we aimed to indentify novel factors that regulate chondrogenesis. We investigated the possible role of isopsoralen in induction of chondrogenic differentiation in clonal mouse chondrogenic ATDC5 cells. Isopsoralen treatment stimulated the accumulation of cartilage nodules in a dose-dependent manner. Further, ATDC5 cells treated with isopsoralen were stained more intensely with Alcian blue than control cells, suggesting that isopsoralen increases the synthesis of matrix proteoglycans. Similarly, isopsoralen markedly induced the activation of alkaline phosphatase activity compared with control cells. Isopsoralen enhanced the expressions of chondrogenic marker genes such as collagen II, collagen X, OCN, Smad4 and Sox9 in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, isopsoralen induced the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 MAP kinase, but not that of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Isopsoralen significantly enhanced the protein expression of BMP-2 in a time-dependent manner. PD98059 and SB 203580, inhibitors of ERK and p38 MAPK, respectively, decreased the number of stained cells treated with isopsoralen. Taken together, these results suggest that isopsoralen mediates a chondromodulating effect by BMP-2 or MAPK signaling pathways, and is therefore a possible therapeutic agent for bone growth disorders.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.20-25
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• 2015

TGF-${\beta}$ regulates pleiotropic cellular responses including cell growth, differentiation, migration, apoptosis, extracellular matrix production, and many other biological processes. Although non-Smad signaling pathways are being increasingly reported to play many roles in TGF-${\beta}$-mediated biological processes, Smads, especially receptor-regulated Smads (R-Smads), still play a central mediatory role in TGF-${\beta}$ signaling for epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Thus, the biological activities of R-Smads are tightly regulated at multiple points. Inhibitory Smad (I-Smad also called Smad7) acts as a critical endogenous negative feedback regulator of Smad-signaling pathways by inhibiting R-Smad phosphorylation and by inducing activated type I TGF-${\beta}$ receptor degradation. Roles played by Smad7 in health and disease are being increasingly reported, but the molecular mechanisms that regulate Smad7 are not well understood. In this study, we show that E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch acts as a positive regulator of TGF-${\beta}$ signaling and of subsequent EMT-related gene expression. Interestingly, the Itch-mediated positive regulation of TGF-${\beta}$ signaling was found to be dependent on Smad7 ubiquitination and its subsequent degradation. Further study revealed Itch acts as an E3 ubiquitin ligase for Smad7 polyubiquitination, and thus, that Itch is an important regulator of Smad7 activity and a positive regulator of TGF-${\beta}$ signaling and of TGF-${\beta}$-mediated biological processes. Accordingly, the study uncovers a novel regulatory mechanism whereby Smad7 is controlled by Itch.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.5303-5307
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• 2016

Objective: Brain tumors cause great mortality and morbidity worldwide, and success rates with surgical treatment remain very low. Several recent studies have focused on introduction of novel effective medical therapeutic approaches. Genistein is a member of the isoflavonoid family which has proved to exert anticancer effects. Here we assessed the effects of genistein on the expression of MMP-2 and VEGF in low and high grade gliomas in vitro. Materials and Methods: High and low grade glioma tumor tissue samples were obtained from a total of 16 patients, washed with PBS, cut into small pieces, digested with collagenase type I and cultured in DMEM containing 10% FBS. When cells reached passage 3, they were exposed to genistein and MMP-2 and VEGF gene transcripts were determined by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR). Results: Expression of MMP-2 demonstrated 580-fold reduction in expression in low grade glioma cells post treatment with genistein compared to untreated cells (P value= 0.05). In cells derived from high grade lesions, expression of MMP-2 was 2-fold lower than in controls (P value> 0.05). Genistein caused a 4.7-fold reduction in VEGF transcript in high grade glioma cells (P value> 0.05) but no effects were evident in low grade glioma cells. Conclusion. Based on the data of the present study, low grade glioma cells appear much more sensitive to genistein and this isoflavone might offer an appropriate therapeutic intervention in these patients. Further investigation of this possibility is clearly warranted.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.237-244
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• 2019

Understanding the mechanisms of cancer drug resistance is a critical challenge in cancer therapy. For many cancer drugs, various resistance mechanisms have been identified such as target alteration, alternative signaling pathways, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and epigenetic modulation. Resistance may arise via multiple mechanisms even for a single drug, making it necessary to investigate multiple independent models for comprehensive understanding and therapeutic application. In particular, we hypothesize that different resistance processes result in distinct gene expression changes. Here, we present a web-based database, CDRgator (Cancer Drug Resistance navigator) for comparative analysis of gene expression signatures of cancer drug resistance. Resistance signatures were extracted from two different types of datasets. First, resistance signatures were extracted from transcriptomic profiles of cancer cells or patient samples and their resistance-induced counterparts for >30 cancer drugs. Second, drug resistance group signatures were also extracted from two large-scale drug sensitivity datasets representing ~1,000 cancer cell lines. All the datasets are available for download, and are conveniently accessible based on drug class and cancer type, along with analytic features such as clustering analysis, multidimensional scaling, and pathway analysis. CDRgator allows meta-analysis of independent resistance models for more comprehensive understanding of drug-resistance mechanisms that is difficult to accomplish with individual datasets alone (database URL: http://cdrgator.ewha.ac.kr).