1.Nitric Oxide Production Inhibitory Terpenylated Coumarins from Ailanthus altissima
Beom Kyun AN ; Jae Sang HAN ; Joon Su JANG ; Yong Beom CHO ; Mi Kyeong LEE ; Bang Yeon HWANG
Natural Product Sciences 2026;32(1):44-49
LC-MS/MS-based molecular networking was used to guide the targeted isolation of terpenylated coumarins from the barks of Ailanthus altissima. Five known terpenylated coumarins (1–5), along with two simple coumarins (6 and 7), were isolated from the CH 2 Cl 2 -soluble fraction. Their structures were determined using spectroscopic techniques, including 1D and 2D NMR and LC-HR-MS/MS. Notably, altissimacoumarins C (1), F (3), and H (4) demonstrated potent inhibition of LPS-induced nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 macrophages, with IC50 values of 36.1, 27.9, and 11.2 μM, respectively. These results demonstrate the antiinflammatory properties of A. altissima, supporting its possible application in treating inflammatory disorders.
2.Long-term Immunogenicity of the 13-valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine during Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Gastric and Colorectal Cancer: A 5-Year Follow-up of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Hyeon-Jong KIM ; Hyunjin BANG ; Hyun-Jung SHIM ; Jun Eul HWANG ; Sang-Hee CHO ; Ik-Joo CHUNG ; Seung Ji KANG ; Jong Gwang KIM ; Seung-Hoon BEOM ; A-Yeung JANG ; Joon Young SONG ; Woo Kyun BAE
Cancer Research and Treatment 2026;58(1):61-70
Purpose:
Current guidelines recommend vaccination at least 2 weeks before chemotherapy initiation to optimize the immune response despite limited evidence. Our previous study indicated no differences in short-term immune response for the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) according to the vaccination timing. This study aims to investigate the long-term efficacy of PCV13 and clinical factors associated with the respective antibody response.
Materials and Methods:
Patients with gastric or colorectal cancer who received adjuvant chemotherapy were enrolled and divided into two groups: vaccinated 2 weeks before chemotherapy (arm A) and vaccinated concurrently with chemotherapy (arm B). Serum samples were collected before vaccination and in one month, 3 years, and 5 years. Immune responses were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and multiplex opsonophagocytosis assay.
Results:
Including 63 patients, both groups showed an initial increase in the geometric mean titers of opsonophagocytic activity and the geometric mean concentrations of serotype-specific IgG levels after one month, followed by a decline at 3 and 5 years, particularly for serotypes 1, 14, 18C, and 19A. Despite the decline, global protection was maintained for 5 years, although global response decreased. The two arms did not show significant differences in immunogenicity nor in factors such as vaccination timing, age, cancer type, or chemotherapy regimen.
Conclusion
Vaccination timing is not a significant factor for the immunogenicity of PCV13 in cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy. Global protection against pneumococcal infection was sustained for > 5 years, and global response remained in over half of patients.
3.Non-canonical Function of Prolyl Hydroxylase Domain 2in Breast Cancer Cell Growth and Progression: Role of Peptidyl-prolyl Cis-trans Isomerase NIMA-interacting 1
Yanymee N. GUILLEN-QUISPE ; Su-Jung KIM ; Soma SAEIDI ; Gyo-Jin CHOI ; Chaithanya CHELAKKOT ; Tianchi ZHOU ; Sang-Beom BANG ; Tae-Won KIM ; Young Kee SHIN ; Young-Joon SURH
Journal of Cancer Prevention 2025;30(1):56-56
4.Non-canonical Function of Prolyl Hydroxylase Domain 2in Breast Cancer Cell Growth and Progression: Role of Peptidyl-prolyl Cis-trans Isomerase NIMA-interacting 1
Yanymee N. GUILLEN-QUISPE ; Su-Jung KIM ; Soma SAEIDI ; Gyo-Jin CHOI ; Chaithanya CHELAKKOT ; Tianchi ZHOU ; Sang-Beom BANG ; Tae-Won KIM ; Young Kee SHIN ; Young-Joon SURH
Journal of Cancer Prevention 2025;30(1):56-56
5.Non-canonical Function of Prolyl Hydroxylase Domain 2in Breast Cancer Cell Growth and Progression: Role of Peptidyl-prolyl Cis-trans Isomerase NIMA-interacting 1
Yanymee N. GUILLEN-QUISPE ; Su-Jung KIM ; Soma SAEIDI ; Gyo-Jin CHOI ; Chaithanya CHELAKKOT ; Tianchi ZHOU ; Sang-Beom BANG ; Tae-Won KIM ; Young Kee SHIN ; Young-Joon SURH
Journal of Cancer Prevention 2025;30(1):56-56
6.Non-canonical Function of Prolyl Hydroxylase Domain 2in Breast Cancer Cell Growth and Progression: Role of Peptidyl-prolyl Cis-trans Isomerase NIMA-interacting 1
Yanymee N. GUILLEN-QUISPE ; Su-Jung KIM ; Soma SAEIDI ; Gyo-Jin CHOI ; Chaithanya CHELAKKOT ; Tianchi ZHOU ; Sang-Beom BANG ; Tae-Won KIM ; Young Kee SHIN ; Young-Joon SURH
Journal of Cancer Prevention 2024;29(4):129-139
Prolyl hydroxylase domain 2 (PHD2) is the primary oxygen sensing enzyme involved in hydroxylation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). Under normoxic conditions, PHD2 hydroxylates specific proline residues in HIF-1α and HIF-2α, promoting their ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation. Although PHD2 activity decreases in hypoxia, notable residual activity persists, but its function in these conditions remains unclear. Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase NIMA-interacting 1 (Pin1) targets proteins with phosphorylated serine/threonine-proline (pSer/Thr-Pro) motifs. As PHD2 contains several pSer/Thr-Pro motifs, it may be a potential substrate of Pin1. In the present study, we found Pin1 and PHD2 interactions in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. The breast cancer tissue array revealed higher levels of PHD2 and Pin1 in tumors compared to adjacent normal tissues. Through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry spectrometry, three phosphorylation sites (S125, T168, and S174) on PHD2 were identified, with serine 125 as the main site for Pin1 binding. As a new Pin1 binding partner, oncogenic PHD2 could be a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer treatment.
7.Deep Learning-Based Automatic Classification of Ischemic Stroke Subtype Using Diffusion-Weighted Images
Wi-Sun RYU ; Dawid SCHELLINGERHOUT ; Hoyoun LEE ; Keon-Joo LEE ; Chi Kyung KIM ; Beom Joon KIM ; Jong-Won CHUNG ; Jae-Sung LIM ; Joon-Tae KIM ; Dae-Hyun KIM ; Jae-Kwan CHA ; Leonard SUNWOO ; Dongmin KIM ; Sang-Il SUH ; Oh Young BANG ; Hee-Joon BAE ; Dong-Eog KIM
Journal of Stroke 2024;26(2):300-311
Background:
and Purpose Accurate classification of ischemic stroke subtype is important for effective secondary prevention of stroke. We used diffusion-weighted image (DWI) and atrial fibrillation (AF) data to train a deep learning algorithm to classify stroke subtype.
Methods:
Model development was done in 2,988 patients with ischemic stroke from three centers by using U-net for infarct segmentation and EfficientNetV2 for subtype classification. Experienced neurologists (n=5) determined subtypes for external test datasets, while establishing a consensus for clinical trial datasets. Automatically segmented infarcts were fed into the model (DWI-only algorithm). Subsequently, another model was trained, with AF included as a categorical variable (DWI+AF algorithm). These models were tested: (1) internally against the opinion of the labeling experts, (2) against fresh external DWI data, and (3) against clinical trial dataset.
Results:
In the training-and-validation datasets, the mean (±standard deviation) age was 68.0±12.5 (61.1% male). In internal testing, compared with the experts, the DWI-only and the DWI+AF algorithms respectively achieved moderate (65.3%) and near-strong (79.1%) agreement. In external testing, both algorithms again showed good agreements (59.3%–60.7% and 73.7%–74.0%, respectively). In the clinical trial dataset, compared with the expert consensus, percentage agreements and Cohen’s kappa were respectively 58.1% and 0.34 for the DWI-only vs. 72.9% and 0.57 for the DWI+AF algorithms. The corresponding values between experts were comparable (76.0% and 0.61) to the DWI+AF algorithm.
Conclusion
Our model trained on a large dataset of DWI (both with or without AF information) was able to classify ischemic stroke subtypes comparable to a consensus of stroke experts.
8.Anti-inflammatory Activity of Norisoprenoids from the Aerial Parts of Celosia cristata L.
Joon Su JANG ; Jae Sang HAN ; Yong Beom CHO ; Beom Kyun AN ; Bang Yeon HWANG ; Moon-Soon LEE
Natural Product Sciences 2024;30(2):125-129
Celosia cristata , belongs to Amaranthaceae family, has been utilized in many traditional medicinal systems to treat hemostasis, eye and mouth inflammation, and gynecological diseases. The various physiological investigations on C. cristata have documented its antibacterial, antioxidant, antifungal, and antihepatotoxic properties. During the research program aimed at isolating bioactive constituents from the medicinal plants, the aerial parts of C. cristata were extracted using 80% EtOH, then sequentially partitioned with n-hexane, CH 2 Cl 2 , and EtOAc. The CH 2 Cl 2 -soluble fraction demonstrated inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells, with an IC50 value of 24.7 μg/mL. The CH 2 Cl 2 -soluble fraction was subjected to a series of chromatographic techniques, such as Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, MPLC, and preparative HPLC. As a result, seven known norisoprenoids (1–7) were isolated, and the structures were determined through the analysis of spectroscopic data, especially 1D NMR, 2D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS. Dehydrovomifoliol (2), 3-hydroxy-4,7-megastigmadien-9-one (6), and 9-hydroxy-4,7-megastigmadien-3-one (7) exhibited inhibitory effects on LPS-induced nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 macrophages with IC50 values of 17.7–24.4 μM.
9.Non-canonical Function of Prolyl Hydroxylase Domain 2in Breast Cancer Cell Growth and Progression: Role of Peptidyl-prolyl Cis-trans Isomerase NIMA-interacting 1
Yanymee N. GUILLEN-QUISPE ; Su-Jung KIM ; Soma SAEIDI ; Gyo-Jin CHOI ; Chaithanya CHELAKKOT ; Tianchi ZHOU ; Sang-Beom BANG ; Tae-Won KIM ; Young Kee SHIN ; Young-Joon SURH
Journal of Cancer Prevention 2024;29(4):129-139
Prolyl hydroxylase domain 2 (PHD2) is the primary oxygen sensing enzyme involved in hydroxylation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). Under normoxic conditions, PHD2 hydroxylates specific proline residues in HIF-1α and HIF-2α, promoting their ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation. Although PHD2 activity decreases in hypoxia, notable residual activity persists, but its function in these conditions remains unclear. Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase NIMA-interacting 1 (Pin1) targets proteins with phosphorylated serine/threonine-proline (pSer/Thr-Pro) motifs. As PHD2 contains several pSer/Thr-Pro motifs, it may be a potential substrate of Pin1. In the present study, we found Pin1 and PHD2 interactions in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. The breast cancer tissue array revealed higher levels of PHD2 and Pin1 in tumors compared to adjacent normal tissues. Through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry spectrometry, three phosphorylation sites (S125, T168, and S174) on PHD2 were identified, with serine 125 as the main site for Pin1 binding. As a new Pin1 binding partner, oncogenic PHD2 could be a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer treatment.
10.Non-canonical Function of Prolyl Hydroxylase Domain 2in Breast Cancer Cell Growth and Progression: Role of Peptidyl-prolyl Cis-trans Isomerase NIMA-interacting 1
Yanymee N. GUILLEN-QUISPE ; Su-Jung KIM ; Soma SAEIDI ; Gyo-Jin CHOI ; Chaithanya CHELAKKOT ; Tianchi ZHOU ; Sang-Beom BANG ; Tae-Won KIM ; Young Kee SHIN ; Young-Joon SURH
Journal of Cancer Prevention 2024;29(4):129-139
Prolyl hydroxylase domain 2 (PHD2) is the primary oxygen sensing enzyme involved in hydroxylation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). Under normoxic conditions, PHD2 hydroxylates specific proline residues in HIF-1α and HIF-2α, promoting their ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation. Although PHD2 activity decreases in hypoxia, notable residual activity persists, but its function in these conditions remains unclear. Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase NIMA-interacting 1 (Pin1) targets proteins with phosphorylated serine/threonine-proline (pSer/Thr-Pro) motifs. As PHD2 contains several pSer/Thr-Pro motifs, it may be a potential substrate of Pin1. In the present study, we found Pin1 and PHD2 interactions in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. The breast cancer tissue array revealed higher levels of PHD2 and Pin1 in tumors compared to adjacent normal tissues. Through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry spectrometry, three phosphorylation sites (S125, T168, and S174) on PHD2 were identified, with serine 125 as the main site for Pin1 binding. As a new Pin1 binding partner, oncogenic PHD2 could be a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer treatment.

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