Publications by authors named "So Youn Woo"

Radiotherapy is commonly used to treat solid cancers located in the pelvis. A considerable number of patients experience proctitis of varying severity, even for a considerable period after radiotherapy. These side effects are often long-lasting or progressively worsen despite multiple therapeutic efforts and are a primary cause of an unexpectedly low quality of life, even after successful cancer treatment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Emerging evidence indicates that the immunomodulatory effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is primarily attributed to the paracrine pathway. As a key paracrine effector, MSC-derived exosomes are small vesicles that play an important role in cell-to-cell communication by carrying bioactive substances. We previously found that exosomes derived from tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells (T-MSCs) were able to effectively attenuate inflammatory responses in mast cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

One of the most affected aspects of the aging process is immunity, with age-related immune system decline being responsible for an increase in susceptibility to infectious diseases and cancer risk. On the other hand, the aging process is accompanied with low-grade pro-inflammatory status. This condition involves a persistent rise in cytokine levels that can activate both innate and adaptive immune systems.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cancer-cell-derived exosomes confer oncogenic properties in their tumor microenvironment and to other cells; however, the exact mechanism underlying this process is unclear. Here, we investigated the roles of cancer-cell-derived exosomes in colon cancer. Exosomes were isolated from colon cancer cell lines, HT-29, SW480, and LoVo, using an ExoQuick-TC kit, identified using Western blotting for exosome markers, and characterized using transmission electron microscopy and nanosight tracking analysis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The aim of this study aimed to examine the existence of a bacterial metagenome in the bone marrow of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We re-examined whole-genome sequencing data from the bone marrow samples of seven patients with AML, four of whom were remitted after treatment, for metagenomic analysis. After the removal of human reads, unmapped reads were used to profile the species-level composition.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: This study aimed to examine the association between anxiety symptoms and gut microbial composition and to infer their functional pathways.

Methods: In total, 605 participants were included in this study. Participants were categorized into anxious and non-anxious groups according to their Beck Anxiety Inventory scores, and their fecal microbiota was profiled using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: To achieve optimal bone marrow engraftment during bone marrow transplantation, migration of donor bone marrow cells (BMCs) toward the recipient's bone marrow is critical. Despite the enhanced engraftment of BMCs by co-administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), the efficiency can be variable depending on MSC donor. The purpose of this study is to examine the functional heterogeneity of tonsil-derived MSCs (TMSCs) and to identify a marker to evaluate efficacy for the enhancement of BMC migration.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Obesity, which has become a major global health problem, involves a constitutive increase in adipocyte differentiation signaling. Previous studies show that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) induce weight loss and glycemic control. However, the mechanisms by which MSCs regulate adipocyte differentiation are not yet known.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by neutrophils provide a frontline defence against invading pathogens. We investigated the supportive effect of tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells (TMSCs) on ROS generation from neutrophils using promyelocytic HL-60 cells. Methods: Differentiated HL-60 (dHL-60) cells were cocultured with TMSCs isolated from 25 independent donors, and ROS generation in dHL-60 cells was measured using luminescence.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Therapeutic strategies that can promote platelet production are in demand to enhance clinical outcomes of bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Our research group has studied human tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells (T-MSCs) and their effectiveness in promoting bone marrow (BM) engraftment. Here, we analyzed the effects of T-MSCs on platelet production and hemostasis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Mast cells are immune sentinels in the skin that respond to a wide range of pathological and environmental stimuli; they owe their function to the expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs). We previously found that tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells (T-MSCs) were able to effectively attenuate TLR7-mediated skin inflammation in mice, which was accompanied by an increase in mast cell number. The present study investigated whether T-MSC extracellular vesicles, such as exosomes, are able to regulate mast cell activation in response to TLR7 stimulation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are mesoderm‑originated adult SCs that possess multidirectional differentiation potential. MSCs migrate to injured tissue and secrete a range of paracrine factors that induce regeneration in damaged tissue and exert immune modulation. Because tumor progression is dependent on cross‑talk between the tumor and its microenvironment, MSCs also produce extracellular vesicles (EVs) that mediate information transfer in the tumor microenvironment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Background: Hot springs have been traditionally used as an alternative treatment for a wide range of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, bronchial asthma, diabetes, hypertension, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. However, the clinical effects and therapeutic mechanisms associated with hot springs remain poorly defined.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the different effects of hot springs on cellular viability and secretion of inflammatory cytokines on keratinocyte in two geographically representative types of hot springs: NaHCO-type and NaCl-type, which are the most common types in South Korea.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Mast cells are skin immune sentinels located in the upper dermis, where wheal formation and sensory nerve stimulation take place. Skin inflammation is occasionally accompanied by mast cell-driven responses with wheals, angioedema, or both. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies are regarded as typical stimuli to drive mast cell activation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Skeletal muscle mass is decreased under a wide range of pathologic conditions. In particular, chemotherapy is well known for inducing muscle loss and atrophy. Previous studies using tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells (T-MSCs) or a T-MSC-conditioned medium showed effective recovery of total body weight in the chemotherapy-preconditioned bone marrow transplantation mouse model.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Co-transplantation of bone marrow cells (BMCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is used as a strategy to improve the outcomes of bone marrow transplantation. Tonsil-derived MSCs (TMSCs) are a promising source of MSCs for co-transplantation. Previous studies have shown that TMSCs or conditioned media from TMSCs (TMSC-CM) enhance BMC engraftment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Exosomes are a group of small membranous vesicles that are shed into the extracellular environment by tumoral or non-tumoral cells and contribute to cellular communication by delivering micro RNAs (miRNAs). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the role of exosomal miRNAs from colorectal cancer cell lines in tumorigenesis, by affecting cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which are vital constituents of the tumor microenvironment. To analyze the effect of exosomal miRNA on the tumor microenvironment, migration of the monocytic cell line THP-1 was evaluated via Transwell migration assay using CAFs isolated from colon cancer patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The advantages of tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells (TMSCs) over other mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) include higher proliferation rates, various differentiation potentials, efficient immune-modulating capacity, and ease of obtainment. Specifically, TMSCs have been shown to differentiate into the endodermal lineage. Estrogen deficiency is a major cause of postmenopausal osteoporosis and is associated with higher incidences of ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular attacks during the postmenopausal period.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bone marrow (BM) transplantation (BMT) represents a curative treatment for various hematological disorders. Prior to BMT, a large amount of the relevant anticancer drug needed to be administered to eliminate cancer cells. However, during this pre‑BMT cytotoxic conditioning regimen, hematopoietic stem cells in the BM and thymic epithelial cells were also destroyed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Skin forms a physical barrier that protects the body against outside agents. The deepest layer of the skin, the stratum basale, contains two cell types: agent-sensing keratinocytes, and melanin-producing melanocytes. Keratinocytes can sense both harmless commensal organisms and harmful pathogens via Toll-like receptors (TLRs), and keratinocytes subsequently drive immune responses.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Lymphatic vessels serve as conduits through which immune cells traffic. Because lymphatic vessels are also involved in lipid transport, their function is vulnerable to abnormal metabolic conditions such as obesity and hyperlipidemia. Exactly how these conditions impact immune cell trafficking, however, is not well understood.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cotransplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) has been widely reported to promote HSC engraftment and enhance marrow stromal regeneration. The present study aimed to define whether MSC conditioned medium could recapitulate the effects of MSC cotransplantation. Mouse bone marrow (BM) was partially ablated by the administration of a busulfan and cyclophosphamide (Bu-Cy)-conditioning regimen in BALB/c recipient mice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for treating bone-related diseases shows promising outcomes in preclinical studies. However, cells that are isolated and defined as MSCs comprise a heterogeneous population of progenitors. This heterogeneity can produce variations in the performance of MSCs, especially in applications that require differentiation potential , such as the treatment of osteoporosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The discovery of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has advanced regenerative medicine significantly but poses challenges like invasive sampling and low yield, particularly from bone marrow sources.
  • Tonsil-derived MSCs (TMSCs) have emerged as a promising alternative due to their better proliferation rates, differentiation abilities, and ease of extraction, alongside lower immunogenicity.
  • Recent studies highlight TMSCs' potential to differentiate into various tissue types (mesodermal, endodermal, and ectodermal), making them a valuable focus for future regenerative medicine research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF