Publications by authors named "Ji Woong Choi"

Background/objectives: Effectively targeting treatment-resistant tumor cells, particularly cancer stem cells (CSCs) involved in tumor recurrence, remains a major challenge in immunotherapy. This study examines the potential of combining mechanical high-intensity focused ultrasound (M-HIFU) with dendritic cell (DC) vaccines to enhance immune responses against OLFM4-expressing tumors, a CSC marker linked to immune evasion and tumor growth.

Methods: M-HIFU was applied to induce immunogenic cell death by mechanically disrupting tumor cells, releasing tumor-associated antigens and creating an immunostimulatory environment.

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  • * This study introduced a new method using a respirometer to measure oxygen consumption in ICR mice exposed to various concentrations of benzene, toluene, and xylene, revealing significant decreases in respiration rates at high concentrations of benzene and toluene.
  • * The method was validated in a model of pulmonary fibrosis, showing a strong link between weight loss and decreased oxygen consumption, suggesting oxygen consumption might serve as a reliable endpoint in inhalation toxicity assessments without needing to sacrifice animals.
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  • Researchers have developed a stealthy neural recorder designed to monitor brain signals in non-human primates, allowing for the study of their natural behaviors.
  • The device features a fully implantable, wireless, battery-free module that records brain activity and movement, along with a flexible 32-electrode neural probe.
  • Successfully tested on a freely moving monkey, the recorder gathered data for over a month, which was then used to train an AI model to classify the animal's eating behaviors.
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  • Affective disorders are linked to changes in circadian rhythms, particularly in the secretion patterns of serotonin (5-HT), which plays a crucial role in mood regulation.
  • This study investigates how the circadian nuclear receptor REV-ERBα influences the production of serotonin by regulating the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (Tph2) in specific brain neurons.
  • The results show that manipulating REV-ERBα activity affects serotonin levels and associated mood behaviors in mice, highlighting a connection between circadian rhythms and mood regulation mechanisms in the brain.
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Naturally occurring homoisoflavonoids isolated from some Liliaceae plants have been reported to have diverse biological activities (e.g., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-angiogenic effects).

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Cancer stem cells (CSCs) can self-renew and differentiate, contributing to tumor heterogeneity, metastasis, and recurrence. Their resistance to therapies, including immunotherapy, underscores the importance of targeting them for complete remission and relapse prevention. Olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4), a marker associated with various cancers such as colorectal cancer, is expressed on CSCs promoting immune evasion and tumorigenesis.

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Lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 (LPA) plays a critical role in brain injury following a transient brain ischemic stroke. However, its role in permanent brain ischemic stroke remains unknown. To address this, we investigated whether LPA could contribute to brain injury of mice challenged by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO).

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Compared to other organs, the brain has limited antioxidant defenses. In particular, the hippocampus is the central region for learning and memory and is highly susceptible to oxidative stress. Glial cells are the most abundant cells in the brain, and sustained glial cell activation is critical to the neuroinflammation that aggravates neuropathology and neurotoxicity.

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Levodopa, a dopamine prodrug, alleviates the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), but its chronic use gives rise to levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). However, it remains unclear whether levodopa pharmacodynamics is altered during the progressive onset of LID. Using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry and second-derivative-based background drift removal, we continuously measured tonic dopamine levels using high temporal resolution recording over 1-h.

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Quantitative measurement of the phasic (changes in several seconds) and tonic (changes in minutes to hours) level changes of neurotransmitters is an essential technique for understanding brain functions and brain diseases regulated by the neurotransmitters. However, monitoring phasic and tonic levels of multiple neurotransmitters is still a challenging technology. Microdialysis can measure the tonic levels of multiple neurotransmitters simultaneously but has a low temporal resolution (minute) to analyze precisely.

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Quantum identity authentication serves as a crucial technology for secure quantum communication, but its security often faces challenges due to quantum hacking of measurement devices. This study introduces a measurement-device-independent mutual quantum identity authentication (MDI MQIA) scheme capable of ensuring secure user authentication, despite the use of measurement devices vulnerable to quantum hacking. To realize the MDI MQIA scheme, we proposed and applied a modified Bell state measurement based on linear optics, enabling the probabilistic measurement of all Bell states.

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Stroke is a major global health problem that causes significant mortality and long-term disability. Post-stroke neurological impairment is a complication that is often underestimated with the risk of persistent neurological deficits. Although traditional Chinese medicines have a long history of being used for stroke, their scientific efficacy remains unclear.

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Social interaction among conspecifics is essential for maintaining adaptive, cooperative, and social behaviors, along with survival among mammals. The 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) neuronal system is an important neurotransmitter system for regulating social behaviors; however, the circadian role of 5-HT in social interaction behaviors is unclear. To investigate whether the circadian nuclear receptor REV-ERBα, a transcriptional repressor of the rate-limiting enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (Tph2) gene in 5-HT biosynthesis, may affect social interaction behaviors, we generated a conditional knockout (cKO) mouse by targeting Rev-Erbα in dorsal raphe (DR) 5-HT neurons (5-HT-specific REV-ERBα cKO) using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system and assayed social behaviors, including social preference and social recognition, with a three-chamber social interaction test at two circadian time (CT) points, i.

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  • The NLRP3 inflammasome, which is promoted by certain agents, plays a key role in increasing IL-1β levels, contributing to the worsening of atopic dermatitis (AD) symptoms.
  • Despite its critical role, there are currently no drugs specifically targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome for AD patients.
  • Research showed that MAEO can inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation and reduce AD symptoms in laboratory tests and animal models, suggesting its potential as a treatment for AD.
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Here, we propose a quantum asymmetric key cryptography scheme using Grover's quantum search algorithm. In the proposed scheme, Alice generates a pair of public and private keys, keeps the private keys safe, and only discloses public keys to the outside. Bob uses Alice's public key to send a secret message to Alice and Alice uses her private key to decrypt the secret message.

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Dopamine (DA) homeostasis influences emotions, neural circuit development, cognition, and the reward system. Dysfunctions in DA regulation can lead to neurological disorders, including depression, developmental disorders, and addiction. DA homeostasis disruption is a primary cause of Parkinson's Disease (PD).

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  • * It investigates how the uneven distribution of MPTP due to varying cerebral blood flow affects damage in specific brain regions, particularly the striatum, in three monkeys.
  • * Findings indicate that differences in blood flow velocity and anatomical structure of the circle of Willis can lead to asymmetrical brain damage, suggesting these factors should be considered for better Parkinson's models.
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  • Scientists are creating a special eye device that works like a human eye to help people see better.
  • This device uses tiny particles called quantum dots to control how light is managed, mimicking how our pupils respond to light.
  • It also includes a fake eyelid that works with the device to protect the eye, making it a cool new technology for people who need eye help!
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Terpenoids are widely distributed in nature, especially in the plant kingdom, and exhibit diverse pharmacological activities. In recent years, screening has revealed a wide variety of new terpenoids that are active against different psychiatric disorders. This review synthesized the current published preclinical studies of terpenoid use in psychiatric disorders.

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Breast cancer has a high risk of recurrence and distant metastasis after remission. Controlling distant metastasis is important for reducing breast cancer mortality, but accomplishing this goal remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the molecular pathways underlying metastasis using cells that mimic the breast cancer distant metastasis process.

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The dysregulation of dopamine, a neuromodulator, is associated with a broad spectrum of brain disorders, including Parkinson's disease, addiction, and schizophrenia. Quantitative measurements of dopamine are essential for understanding dopamine functional dynamics. Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) is the most popular electrochemical technique for measuring real-time in vivo dopamine level changes.

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calcium imaging is a standard neuroimaging technique that allows selective observation of target neuronal activities. In calcium imaging, neuron activation signals provide key information for the investigation of neural circuits. For efficient extraction of the calcium signals of neurons, selective detection of the region of interest (ROI) pixels corresponding to the active subcellular region of the target neuron is essential.

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  • Parkinson's disease leads to a loss of dopamine-producing neurons, causing both motor and non-motor symptoms, including mood disorders influenced by circadian rhythms, with "sundowning syndrome" being a notable issue.
  • The study used a mouse model of Parkinson's to investigate how behavioral issues related to mood increase during dawn, paralleling the human experience of dusk.
  • Treatment with the REV-ERBα antagonist, SR8278, showed promise in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms while correcting circadian mood disruptions, suggesting a potential therapeutic avenue for sundowning syndrome in Parkinson’s disease.
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