Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is an enzyme that plays a pivotal role in immune regulation by metabolizing tryptophan into kynurenine, leading to T cell suppression and promoting immune tolerance. However, persistent activation of IDO1 can lead to prolonged immune stimulation in inflammatory conditions such as skin diseases and chronic inflammation. In this study, we developed modified peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) conjugated with cationic lipid chains to target IDO1 pre-mRNA and evaluated their anti-inflammatory effects in human keratinocytes. The modified PNAs demonstrated enhanced solubility, robust binding affinity, and effective penetration into keratinocytes. Quantitative PCR results showed significant downregulation of IDO1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-8, and PTGS2 in interferon γ (IFNγ)-treated keratinocytes. These findings suggest that cell-penetrating PNAs targeting IDO1 hold potential as a therapeutic approach for inflammatory skin disorders and chronic inflammation.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is an enzyme that plays a pivotal role in immune regulation by metabolizing tryptophan into kynurenine, leading to T cell suppression and promoting immune tolerance. However, persistent activation of IDO1 can lead to prolonged immune stimulation in inflammatory conditions such as skin diseases and chronic inflammation. In this study, we developed modified peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) conjugated with cationic lipid chains to target IDO1 pre-mRNA and evaluated their anti-inflammatory effects in human keratinocytes. The modified PNAs demonstrated enhanced solubility, robust binding affinity, and effective penetration into keratinocytes. Quantitative PCR results showed significant downregulation of IDO1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-8, and PTGS2 in interferon γ (IFNγ)-treated keratinocytes. These findings suggest that cell-penetrating PNAs targeting IDO1 hold potential as a therapeutic approach for inflammatory skin disorders and chronic inflammation.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is an enzyme that plays a pivotal role in immune regulation by metabolizing tryptophan into kynurenine, leading to T cell suppression and promoting immune tolerance. However, persistent activation of IDO1 can lead to prolonged immune stimulation in inflammatory conditions such as skin diseases and chronic inflammation. In this study, we developed modified peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) conjugated with cationic lipid chains to target IDO1 pre-mRNA and evaluated their anti-inflammatory effects in human keratinocytes. The modified PNAs demonstrated enhanced solubility, robust binding affinity, and effective penetration into keratinocytes. Quantitative PCR results showed significant downregulation of IDO1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-8, and PTGS2 in interferon γ (IFNγ)-treated keratinocytes. These findings suggest that cell-penetrating PNAs targeting IDO1 hold potential as a therapeutic approach for inflammatory skin disorders and chronic inflammation.

Skin aging results from complex interactions of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, leading to structural and biochemical changes such as wrinkles and dryness. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation leads to the degradation of hyaluronic acid (HA) in the skin, and the fragmented HA contributes to inflammation. This study revealed that the synergistic combination of carnosine and retinol (ROL) increases HA production in normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) by upregulating hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2) gene transcription. Simultaneously, the combined treatment of carnosine and ROL significantly attenuates UVB-induced prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis in NHEKs. A significant correlation exists between the increase of HA synthesis and the inhibition of PGE2 production. This study suggests that combined treatment of carnosine and ROL can improve skin aging phenotypes associated with UVB irradiation.

Background: and Purpose: Voice, reflecting cerebral functions, holds potential for analyzing and understanding brain function, especially in the context of cognitive impairment (CI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study used voice data to distinguish between normal cognition and CI or Alzheimer’s disease dementia (ADD). Methods: This study enrolled 3 groups of subjects: 1) 52 subjects with subjective cognitive decline; 2) 110 subjects with mild CI; and 3) 59 subjects with ADD. Voice features were extracted using Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients and Chroma. Results: A deep neural network (DNN) model showed promising performance, with an accuracy of roughly 81% in 10 trials in predicting ADD, which increased to an average value of about 82.0%±1.6% when evaluated against unseen test dataset. Conclusions Although results did not demonstrate the level of accuracy necessary for a definitive clinical tool, they provided a compelling proof-of-concept for the potential use of voice data in cognitive status assessment. DNN algorithms using voice offer a promising approach to early detection of AD. They could improve the accuracy and accessibility of diagnosis, ultimately leading to better outcomes for patients.

Purpose: Few studies have reported the prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease unclassified (IBDU) among Korean pediatric IBD (PIBD) population. To address this gap, we used two tertiary centers and nationwide population-based healthcare administrative data to estimate the prevalence of Korean pediatric IBDU at the time of diagnosis. Methods: We identified 136 patients aged 2–17 years with newly diagnosed IBD (94 Crohn’s disease [CD] and 42 ulcerative colitis [UC]) from two tertiary centers in Korea between 2005 and 2017. We reclassified these 136 patients using the revised Porto criteria. To estimate the population-based prevalence, we analyzed Korean administrative healthcare data between 2005 and 2016, which revealed 3,650 IBD patients, including 2,538 CD and 1,112 UC. By extrapolating the reclassified results to a population-based dataset, we estimated the prevalence of PIBD subtypes. Results: Among the 94 CD, the original diagnosis remained unchanged in 93 (98.9%), while the diagnosis of one (1.1%) patient was changed to IBDU. Among the 42 UC, the original diagnosis remained unchanged in 13 (31.0%), while the diagnoses in 11 (26.2%), 17 (40.5%), and one (2.4%) patient changed to atypical UC, IBDU, and CD, respectively. The estimated prevalences of CD, UC, atypical UC, and IBDU in the Korean population were 69.5%, 9.4%, 8.0%, and 13.1%, respectively. Conclusion This study is the first in Korea to estimate the prevalence of pediatric IBDU.This prevalence (13.1%) aligns with findings from Western studies. Large-scale prospective multicenter studies on PIBDU are required to examine the clinical features and outcomes of this condition.

Background: We aimed to investigate the characteristics of pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) at diagnosis in Korea. Methods: This was a multicenter, registry-based, inception cohort study conducted in Korea between 2021 and 2023. Children and adolescents newly diagnosed with UC < 18 years were included. Baseline clinicodemographics, results from laboratory, endoscopic exams, and Paris classification factors were collected, and associations between factors at diagnosis were investigated. Results: A total 205 patients with UC were included. Male-to-female ratio was 1.59:1, and the median age at diagnosis was 14.7 years (interquartile range 11.9–16.2). Disease extent of E1 comprised 12.2% (25/205), E2 24.9% (51/205), E3 11.2% (23/205), and E4 51.7% (106/205) of the patients. S1 comprised 13.7% (28/205) of the patients. The proportion of patients with a disease severity of S1 was significantly higher in patients with E4 compared to the other groups (E1: 0% vs. E2: 2% vs. E3: 0% vs. E4: 24.5%, P < 0.001). Significant differences between disease extent groups were also observed in Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index (median 25 vs. 35 vs. 40 vs. 45, respectively, P < 0.001), hemoglobin (median 13.5 vs.13.2 vs. 11.6 vs. 11.4 g/dL, respectively, P < 0.001), platelet count (median 301 vs. 324 vs. 372 vs. 377 × 103 /μL, respectively, P = 0.001), C-reactive protein (median 0.05 vs. 0.10 vs. 0.17 vs. 0.38 mg/dL, respectively, P < 0.001), and Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (median 4 vs. 4 vs. 4 vs. 5, respectively, P = 0.006). No significant differences were observed in factors between groups divided according to sex and diagnosis age. Conclusion This study represents the largest multicenter pediatric inflammatory bowel disease cohort in Korea. Disease severity was associated with disease extent in pediatric patients with UC at diagnosis.