• 한국동물생명공학회지
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.70-74
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• 2019

The kidney is a highly complex organ, and acute or chronic renal diseases can occur with various complications such as diabetes and hypertension. So far, no target specific treatment is available in acute or chronic renal failure, necessitating the development of alternative therapeutic strategy. Recent experimental findings suggest that the renal function and structure can be restored after being treated with various sources of stem/progenitor cells. In this review, we discuss up-to-date findings of the potential of renal progenitor/stem cells in alleviating renal injuries with a focus on preclinical studies. We also review cellular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic function of these cells.

• 대한두개안면성형외과학회지
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.211-218
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• 2020

Autologous fat grafts are widely used in soft-tissue augmentation and reconstruction. To reduce the unpredictability of fat grafts and to improve their long-term survival, cell-assisted lipotransfer (CAL) was introduced. In this alternative method, autologous fat is mixed and grafted with stromal vascular fraction cells or adipose-derived stem/stromal cells (ASCs). In regenerative medicine, ASCs exhibit excellent therapeutic potential and are also simple to harvest. Although the efficacy of CAL has been demonstrated in experimental and clinical research, studies on its safety in terms of oncologic risk have reported inconclusive results. In order to establish CAL as a viable stem cell therapeutic approach, it will be necessary to demonstrate its oncologic safety in basic and clinical studies. Doing so could transform the paradigm of clinical strategy and practice for the treatment of a wide variety of diseases.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제41권11호
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• pp.933-942
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• 2018

Traditionally, small-molecule or antibody-based therapies against human diseases have been designed to inhibit the enzymatic activity or compete for the ligand binding sites of pathological target proteins. Despite its demonstrated effectiveness, such as in cancer treatment, this approach is often limited by recurring drug resistance. More importantly, not all molecular targets are enzymes or receptors with druggable 'hot spots' that can be directly occupied by active site-directed inhibitors. Recently, a promising new paradigm has been created, in which small-molecule chemicals harness the naturally occurring protein quality control machinery of the ubiquitin-proteasome system to specifically eradicate disease-causing proteins in cells. Such 'chemically induced protein degradation' may provide unprecedented opportunities for targeting proteins that are inherently undruggable, such as structural scaffolds and other non-enzymatic molecules, for therapeutic purposes. This review focuses on surveying recent progress in developing E3-guided proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) and small-molecule chemical modulators of deubiquitinating enzymes upstream of or on the proteasome.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2020

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder and is expected to become more and more widespread as life expectancy increases. New therapeutic target, as well as the identification of mechanisms responsible for pathology, is urgently needed. Recently, microglial actin cytoskeleton has been proposed as a beneficial role in axon regeneration of brain injury. This review highlights in understanding of the characteristics of microglial actin cytoskeleton and discuss the role of specific actin-interacting proteins and receptors in AD. The precise mechanisms and functional aspects of motility by microglia require further study, and the regulation of microglial actin cytoskeleton might be a potential therapeutic strategy for neurological diseases.

• Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia
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• 제3권3호
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• pp.117-122
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• 2017

Sarcopenia is the degenerative loss of muscle mass and function with aging. Recently sarcopenia was recognized as a clinical disease by the International Classification of Disease, 10th revision, Clinical Modification. An imbalance between protein synthesis and degradation causes a gradual loss of muscle mass, resulting in a decline of muscle function as a progress of sarcopenia. Many mechanisms involved in the onset of sarcopenia include age-related factors as well as activity-, disease-, and nutrition-related factors. The stage of sarcopenia reflecting the severity of conditions assists clinical management of sarcopenia. It is important that systemic descriptions of the disease conditions include age, sex, and other environmental risk factors as well as levels of physical function. To develop a new therapeutic intervention needed is the detailed understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms by which apoptosis, autophagy, atrophy, and hypertrophy occur in the muscle stem cells, myotubes, and/or neuromuscular junction. The new strategy to managing sarcopenia will be signal-modulating small molecules, natural compounds, repurposing of old drugs, and muscle-specific microRNAs.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.269-277
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• 2022

The amyloid hypothesis has been considered a major explanation of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease. However, failure of phase III clinical trials with anti-amyloid-beta monoclonal antibodies reveals the need for other therapeutic approaches to treat Alzheimer disease. Compared to its relatively short history, optogenetics has developed considerably. The expression of microbial opsins in cells using genetic engineering allows specific control of cell signals or molecules. The application of optogenetics to Alzheimer disease research or clinical approaches is increasing. When applied with gamma entrainment, optogenetic neuromodulation can improve Alzheimer disease symptoms. Although safety problems exist with optogenetics such as the use of viral vectors, this technique has great potential for use in Alzheimer disease. In this paper, we review the historical applications of optogenetic neuromodulation with gamma entrainment to investigate the mechanisms involved in Alzheimer disease and potential therapeutic strategies.

• 대한영상의학회지
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• 제84권2호
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• pp.483-488
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• 2023

경추 수술 중 발생한 척추 동맥 손상은 드물지만 중요하다. 중재적 혈관내 치료 기술의 발전으로 척추 동맥 손상에 대한 치료 접근 방식이 바뀌었지만 확립된 치료 방침은 아직 없다. 우리는 트리플 스텐트 시술 실패 후 플러그 앤 패치 방식으로 혈관내 코일 시술을 하여 척추 동맥 손상으로 인한 가동맥류를 성공적으로 치료한 사례를 보고하고자 한다.

• BMB Reports
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• 제57권8호
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• pp.352-362
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• 2024

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains an indispensable therapeutic strategy for various hematological diseases. This review discusses the pivotal role of bone marrow (BM) niches in influencing the efficacy of HSCT and evaluates the current animal models, emphasizing their limitations and the need for alternative models. Traditional animal models, mainly murine xenograft, have provided significant insights, but due to species-specific differences, are often constrained from accurately mimicking human physiological responses. These limitations highlight the importance of developing alternative models that can more realistically replicate human hematopoiesis. Emerging models that include BM organoids and BM-on-a-chip microfluidic systems promise enhanced understanding of HSCT dynamics. These models aim to provide more accurate simulations of the human BM microenvironment, potentially leading to improved preclinical assessments and therapeutic outcomes. This review highlights the complexities of the BM niche, discusses the limitations of current models, and suggests directions for future research using advanced model systems.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제19권10호
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• pp.490-497
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• 2018

본 연구는 국내 상장제약기업을 대상으로 치료제 질환분야의 다각화 결정요인에 대해 분석함으로써, 최근 화두가 되고 있는 치료제 질환분야에서의 전문화 또는 다각화 전략을 결정짓는 요인이 무엇인지 살펴보았다. 본 연구에서는 자산규모, 매출액, 수익성, 성장성 등 요인들을 설정하고 추가적으로 영업적인 특징을 나타내는 요인인 판매관리비율과 직원 수를 추가하여 이들이 다각화 전략에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지 확인하였다. 연구방법에서는 각 요인들이 다각화에 영향을 미치기까지 걸리는 시간을 감안하여 t-1부터 t-4까지의 시차를 고려하여 변수들을 추가하는 전진선택법 회귀분석을 시행하였다. 총 6가지 요인 중 자산규모와 직원 수, 수익성이 t-1의 시점에서 성장성은 t-2시점에서 다각화의 결정에 유의한 영향을 미쳤다. 국내 상장제약기업들은 자산규모가 클수록, 높은 수익성과 성장성을 가질수록 오히려 소수의 질환분야로 집중화하는 경향을 보였고, 직원 수가 많을수록 다양한 질환분야에 진출하였다. 이는 한 분야의 전문화를 위한 깊이 있는 연구개발의 투자를 위해서는 큰 자산규모와 수익성 및 성장성이 뒷받침이 되어야하기 때문일 것으로 생각된다. 본 연구는 국내 제약기업들이 경쟁력 있는 기업으로 나아가기 위해 자신에게 맞는 다각화 또는 전문화 전략을 세우는데 유용한 정보를 제공할 것으로 기대된다.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.68-74
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• 2014

Objectives: To analyze the growth pattern of the functional food market in Korea, and thus produce essential information in mapping out a strategy for Korean medicine. Methods: A survey of literature or analysis reports about market changes related to functional foods in Korea was undertaken. Results: The Korean functional food market has been growing rapidly, to 1.4 trillion won in 2012 compared to 250 billion won in 2004, which is an annual growth rate of about 14%. In particular, individually-approved functional food is worthy of notice regarding its growth rate and functional position, which is similar to herbal drugs. The expanding growth of functional food affects negatively the decrease of herbal drug industry in Korea to date. Conclusions: To compete with functional foods, the Korean medicine community needs to develop patient-friendly and cost-effective herbal drugs, and strategies to adopt them as therapeutic modalities.