Autocrine Motility Factor and Its Peptide Derivative Inhibit Triple-Negative Breast Cancer by Regulating Wound Repair, Survival, and Drug Efflux.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) presents a significant challenge in oncology due to its aggressive nature and limited targeted therapeutic options. This study explores the potential of autocrine motility factor (AMF) and an AMF-derived peptide as novel treatments for TNBC. AMF, primarily secreted by neoplastic cells, plays a crucial role in cancer cell motility, metastasis, and proliferation.

HLA DR Genome Editing with TALENs in Human iPSCs Produced Immune-Tolerant Dendritic Cells.

Although human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can serve as a universal cell source for regenerative medicine, the use of iPSCs in clinical applications is limited by prohibitive costs and prolonged generation time. Moreover, allogeneic iPSC transplantation requires preclusion of mismatches between the donor and recipient human leukocyte antigen (HLA). We, therefore, generated universally compatible immune nonresponsive human iPSCs by gene editing.

Anti-inflammatory evaluation of the methanolic extract of Taraxacum officinale in LPS-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Background: Atherosclerosis is a chronic vascular inflammatory disease. Since even low-level endotoxemia constitutes a powerful and independent risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis, it is important to find therapies directed against the vascular effects of endotoxin to prevent atherosclerosis. Taraxacum officinale (TO) is used for medicinal purposes because of its choleretic, diuretic, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties, but its anti-inflammatory effect on endothelial cells has not been established.

Characteristics of Body Composition and Muscle Strength of North Korean Refugees during South Korean Stay.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of body composition and muscle strength of North Korean refugees (NKRs) according to their duration of stay in South Korea.

Methods: NKRs who volunteered and were living in South Korea, aged 20 to 75 years were recruited. Body compositions were analyzed by bioelectrical impedance analysis.

Efficient PRNP deletion in bovine genome using gene-editing technologies in bovine cells.

Even though prion (encoded by the PRNP gene) diseases like bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) are fatal neurodegenerative diseases in cattle, their study via gene deletion has been limited due to the absence of cell lines or mutant models. In this study, we aim to develop an immortalized fibroblast cell line in which genome-engineering technology can be readily applied to create gene-modified clones for studies. To this end, this study is designed to 1) investigate the induction of primary fibroblasts to immortalization by introducing Bmi-1 and hTert genes; 2) investigate the disruption of the PRNP in those cells; and 3) evaluate the gene expression and embryonic development using knockout (KO) cell lines.

Disruption of exogenous eGFP gene using RNA-guided endonuclease in bovine transgenic somatic cells.

Genome-editing technologies are considered to be an important tool for generating gene knockout cattle models. Here, we report highly efficient disruption of a chromosomally integrated eGFP gene in bovine somatic cells using RNA-guided endonucleases, a new class of programmable nucleases developed from a bacterial Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 system. In the present study, we obtained homogenously eGFP-expressing primary fibroblasts from cloned bovine transgenic embryonic tissues and employed them for further analysis.

Fundamental issues related to the origin of melatonin and melatonin isomers during evolution: relation to their biological functions.

Melatonin and melatonin isomers exist and/or coexist in living organisms including yeasts, bacteria and plants. The levels of melatonin isomers are significantly higher than that of melatonin in some plants and in several fermented products such as in wine and bread. Currently, there are no reports documenting the presence of melatonin isomers in vertebrates.

Delivery of pineal melatonin to the brain and SCN: role of canaliculi, cerebrospinal fluid, tanycytes and Virchow-Robin perivascular spaces.

Historically, the direct release of pineal melatonin into the capillary bed within the gland has been accepted as the primary route of secretion. Herein, we propose that the major route of melatonin delivery to the brain is after its direct release into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the third ventricle (3V). Melatonin concentrations in the CSF are not only much higher than in the blood, also, there is a rapid nocturnal rise at darkness onset and precipitous decline of melatonin levels at the time of lights on.

The prevalence of and factors associated with the use of smoking cessation medication in Korea: trend between 2005-2011.

Background: In Korea, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has been widely used in government-led, public health center-based smoking cessation services since 2004 and varenicline has become available from 2007 but without reimbursement. In this study which used a series of nationwide cross-sectional surveys in Korea performed from 2005 to 2011, we examined the prevalence of smoking cessation medication use and factors associated with it.

Methods: We analyzed data from the third to fifth waves of Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2011).

Metabolic effects of aloe vera gel complex in obese prediabetes and early non-treated diabetic patients: randomized controlled trial.

Objective: The metabolic effects of an aloe vera gel complex (Aloe QDM complex) on people with prediabetes or early diabetes mellitus (DM) are unknown. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of Aloe QDM complex on body weight, body fat mass (BFM), fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting serum insulin, and Homeostasis Model of Assessment - Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) in obese individuals with prediabetes or early DM who were not on diabetes medications.

Methods: Participants (n = 136) were randomly assigned to an intervention or a control group and evaluated at baseline and at 4 and 8 wk.

Prevalence, awareness, and treatment of osteoporosis among Korean women: The Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the factors associated with the prevalence, awareness, and treatment of osteoporosis in a representative sample of Korean women.

Methods: Data were obtained from dual energy X-ray absorptiometry measurement of the lumbar vertebrae and femoral neck, and from a standardized questionnaire in 2870 Korean women aged 50years and older who participated in the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2009. Osteoporosis was defined by World Health Organization T-score criteria, and awareness and treatment were defined by self-report of an osteoporosis diagnosis and self-report of current anti-osteoporotic medication use, respectively.

Solubilization of water soluble anthocyanins in apolar medium using reverse micelle.

Crude anthocyanins extracted from grape skin were solubilized in hexane containing 100 mM bis(2-ethylhexyl)sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT) by forming stable reverse micelles (RMs). Anthocyanins solubilized in RMs showed about four times greater color intensity than that in aqueous medium. The color intensity of anthocyanins in RMs was primarily affected by the interaction between sulfonate head of AOT and flavylium cation of anthocyanins.

Melatonin prevents oxidative damage to protein and lipid induced by ascorbate-Fe(3+)-EDTA: Comparison with glutathione and alpha-tocopherol.

OBJECTIVES: The ability of melatonin to protect protein and lipid against oxidative damage induced by an ascorbate-Fe(3+)-EDTA (AFE) system which generates the hydroxyl radical was investigated using bovine serum albumin (BSA) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) liposomes, respectively, and compared with the protective effects of reduced glutathione and alpha-tocopherol. The comparison study was also performed using PC liposomes containing BSA. METHODS: BSA, PC liposomes or their mixtures were exposed to the HO.