Publications by authors named "Hyun-ju Lee"
Article Synopsis
- The study addresses the urgent need for reliable biomarkers in colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis, highlighting limitations in current methods and the potential for novel, non-invasive solutions.
- Using advanced genomic and proteomic technologies, researchers identified five promising biomarkers: INHBA, MMP7, PSAT1, SLC7A5, and TGFBI, which showed significantly higher expression levels in CRC patients compared to healthy controls.
- The biomarkers demonstrated strong diagnostic accuracy, with AUC values between 0.8361 and 0.9869, suggesting they could greatly improve early detection and precision in CRC diagnostic practices.
Factors influencing intentional self-harm in Chungcheongbuk Province relative to the Seoul region in the Republic of Korea: a retrospective study.
Osong Public Health Res Perspect
December 2024
Article Synopsis
- This study compared factors influencing intentional self-harm in Chungcheongbuk Province to Seoul, revealing significant demographic differences.
- The research analyzed data from over 2 million cases from 2013 to 2021, identifying 911 self-harm instances, with a notable prevalence in females and middle-aged individuals in Chungbuk.
- Findings highlight the need for targeted prevention programs for women aged 50-64 and stricter control of pesticides due to their high association with self-harm in the region.
Article Synopsis
- Erlotinib, an EGFR inhibitor approved for lung cancer, may also impact Alzheimer's disease by targeting amyloid β interactions.
- In experiments with mouse models for AD, erlotinib treatment improved cognitive function, reduced tau phosphorylation and aggregation, and decreased astrogliosis.
- Overall, erlotinib showed potential as a therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's by enhancing memory and reducing pathological features in the brain.
Article Synopsis
- Early-life experiences significantly shape the fronto-limbic regions of the brain, affecting cognitive and social-emotional functions.
- Limited research has focused on the normative developmental trajectories of these brain areas in preschool-aged children.
- This study analyzed structural changes in the fronto-limbic regions in 57 typical preschoolers, revealing notable asymmetries in certain brain areas that could enhance understanding of early brain development.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the impact of COVID-19 on the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants, showing increased risks for adverse effects.
- Results indicate that preterm infants exposed to the pandemic scored lower on language and cognitive assessments compared to those born before the pandemic, even after considering other factors.
- The findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic is linked to poorer developmental outcomes for preterm children in their first three years of life.
Article Synopsis
- Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) play a crucial role in tissue maintenance and respond to microenvironment changes caused by injury, with Toll-like receptors (TLRs) acting as important sensors for these changes.
- Research focused on the expression and role of TLR2 in MSCs, showing that its activation enhances MSC immunoregulatory and angiostatic functions in relation to monocytes/macrophages and in a mouse model of corneal inflammation.
- The study identified aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C1 (AKR1C1) as a key gene induced by TLR2 activation, which protects MSCs from cell death, boosts the secretion of anti-inflammatory signals, and ultimately helps reduce inflammation
Article Synopsis
- Felodipine, an L-type calcium channel blocker, was previously shown to reduce neuroinflammation in microglial cells and mice, but its effects on tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease were unknown.
- In the study, felodipine was found to decrease tau pathology-induced microglial activation and tau hyperphosphorylation in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease but did not affect astrogliosis.
- The findings suggest that felodipine may be a promising therapeutic option for reducing tau hyper-phosphorylation and neuroinflammatory responses in Alzheimer's disease.
Article Synopsis
- Scientists found that a bad version of a gene called FUS causes some really serious types of ALS, a disease that affects muscles and movement.
- The FUS gene gets too tangled with another protein called H1.2, which can make the disease worse, but if scientists lower the levels of H1.2 or stop a process called PARylation, it can help reduce the problems caused by FUS.
- In tiny worms called C. elegans, cutting down on H1.2 and a similar protein helped stop the FUS problems, showing us that learning about these relations can help us find treatments for ALS.
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates the effects of the dopamine analogue CA140 on Alzheimer's disease pathology and related cognitive functions by administering it to both wild-type and 5xFAD mice models over a period of 10 to 17 days.
- - Results showed that CA140 significantly reduced Alzheimer-related markers such as Aβ/tau fibrillation, plaque numbers, and neuroinflammation, possibly via the inhibition of NLRP3 activation and regulation of key astrocyte and microglial markers.
- - Additionally, CA140 administration improved long-term memory and synaptic function, indicating its potential to modulate cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's through dopamine D1 receptor signaling pathways.
Subconjunctival aflibercept inhibits corneal angiogenesis and VEGFR-3CD11b cells.
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol
December 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study explored how subconjunctival injections of aflibercept impact corneal blood vessel growth and specific immune cells in a mouse model.
- Aflibercept led to a significant decrease in new blood vessel formation in the cornea compared to a control treatment with saline.
- The treatment also lowered levels of certain pro-angiogenic and inflammatory markers in the cornea and reduced the presence of VEGFR-3CD11b immune cells without affecting VEGFR-2CD11b cell levels.
Article Synopsis
- Wooden Cultural Heritage (WCH) includes important historical and artistic wooden artefacts that face degradation, primarily due to fungal activity which affects their strength and appearance.
- A comprehensive review of the last 25 years highlights the diversity of fungi damaging WCH, the biochemical decay processes, and the diagnostic tools for identifying fungi and assessing damage.
- Addressing gaps in knowledge about fungal biodiversity and biology is crucial; collaboration among various fields is necessary to combat the effects of climate change on WCH, supported by traditional microbiology and existing culture collections.
Article Synopsis
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is increasingly prevalent, has significant economic and societal impacts, and currently lacks curative treatments, similar to the situation with cancer.
- Both AD and cancer share biological features such as cell-cycle dysregulation and DNA damage, yet the genetic links between the two have not been thoroughly investigated.
- The review explores shared biological traits, examines anticancer drugs and their potential effects on AD, and discusses innovative therapeutic strategies like immunotherapy and gene therapy to tackle both diseases.
Article Synopsis
- Dopamine is crucial for cognitive functions and inflammation, linking it to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- L-DOPA treatment in 5xFAD mice (an AD model) reduced neuroinflammation and decreased Aβ plaques by increasing specific enzyme levels.
- However, L-DOPA did not affect tau hyperphosphorylation or tau kinase levels, indicating its limitations in influencing tau pathology in this context.
Article Synopsis
- The study examines how brain structure in preterm infants predicts their neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years old, focusing on extremely preterm (EP) and very-to-late preterm (V-LP) groups.
- Using MRI and advanced machine learning techniques, researchers identified local connectivity features as key indicators of cognitive, motor, and language scores in these infants.
- Findings emphasize the importance of these structural features in forecasting development, showcasing machine learning's potential to inform early interventions based on brain microstructure changes.
Article Synopsis
- MSCs (Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells) can change the immune response by influencing the development of specific immune cells, particularly within the context of ocular autoimmune inflammation.
- Analysis using single-cell RNA sequencing identified seven different immune cell types within the MSC-induced population, highlighting the presence of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) that showed distinct gene expression patterns.
- The study found that these MSC-induced MDSCs, characterized by the CSF-1R marker, effectively suppressed CD4 T cell activity and supported the expansion of regulatory T cells (Tregs), indicating their potential for therapeutic application in autoimmune conditions.
Article Synopsis
- Corneal transplantation has a high failure rate (50-70%) in high-risk patients mainly due to immune rejection, highlighting the need for predictive biomarkers.
- A study using proteomics analysis of serum extracellular vesicles (EVs) in a mouse model identified changes in EV profiles during the transplant process, particularly at day 7 post-transplant.
- The analysis revealed distinct markers associated with rejection (higher levels of histocompatibility proteins in rejectors) and non-rejection (increased serum amyloid A2 in nonrejectors), suggesting these EV-based biomarkers could aid in predicting corneal allograft outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- Polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable material made from renewable sources, faces challenges due to its brittleness, which limits its applications.
- Researchers synthesized a range of biodegradable organic carbonates as plasticizers to enhance PLA's ductility, particularly noting the effectiveness of compound 1, which improved compatibility with PLA without losing morphological stability over time.
- Despite the promising enhancements in flexibility and compatibility with PLA, blending these organic carbonate plasticizers did not significantly increase PLA's biodegradability under ambient conditions.
Article Synopsis
- The study analyzed the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of ethanol extracts from Lindera glauca twig and leaf/stem.
- The extracts displayed high levels of polyphenols and flavonoids, and both showed significant radical scavenging activities without being toxic to cells.
- The extracts also inhibited key inflammatory factors in cells, indicating their potential as effective ingredients for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory applications in cosmetics.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) influence the development of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in the bone marrow during inflammation.
- RNA sequencing identified the MAPK signaling pathway as significantly involved, particularly through the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK).
- Inhibiting JNK disrupted the hallmark gene expression associated with MDSCs and altered cytokine production, suggesting that MSCs affect immune responses by activating the JNK pathway.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluated the intrinsic severity of COVID-19 across different variants (pre-delta, delta, and omicron) and compared outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
- The results indicated that unvaccinated individuals had significantly higher case severity rates and case fatality rates, particularly during the delta variant period, while vaccinated individuals maintained relatively low severity levels.
- The findings suggest that vaccination dramatically reduces the impact of COVID-19, even with new variants, highlighting the importance of vaccination in controlling the disease's severity.
Article Synopsis
- Developed a specific aptamer that binds to G-protein (PGP), a critical target for diagnosing infections related to periodontal disease.
- Utilized the SELEX method for aptamer screening and confirmed its selectivity via modified-Western blot analysis and sensitivity through ELONA, detecting PGP at low concentrations.
- Constructed a rapid detection biosensor (SPREETA) capable of identifying PGP at concentrations as low as 0.1 pM within 5 minutes, enhancing infection diagnosis for oral diseases.
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates how maternal pre-pregnancy obesity affects the brain microstructure of preterm infants, revealing significant differences between infants born to obese mothers versus those born to mothers with normal BMI.
- - Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), researchers found that preterm infants of obese mothers had larger gray matter volume but less white matter volume and lower axial diffusivity in a specific brain tract.
- - This research highlights the potential long-term neurodevelopmental impacts of maternal obesity, emphasizing a need for understanding how maternal health influences fetal brain development.
Article Synopsis
- This study examines how brain morphologic changes during the third trimester of pregnancy relate to neurodevelopment outcomes in preterm infants.
- Researchers analyzed MRI scans of preterm neonates to derive a predicted brain age (PBA) and found that it correlates with postnatal health and developmental scores.
- The findings suggest that using brain morphology for age prediction can aid in identifying potential developmental issues early, helping to improve interventions for at-risk infants.