Background: and Purpose The National Brain Biobank of Korea (NBBK) is a brain bank consortium supported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the Korea National Institute of Health, and was launched in 2015 to support research into neurodegenerative disease dementia (NDD). This study aimed to introduce the NBBK and describes clinicopathological correlations based on analyses of data collected from the NBBK. Methods: Four hospital-based brain banks have been established in South Korea: Samsung Medical Center Brain Bank (SMCBB), Seoul National University Hospital Brain Bank (SNUHBB), Pusan National University Hospital Brain Bank (PNUHBB), and Myongji Hospital Brain Bank (MJHBB). Clinical and pathological data were collected from these brain banks using standardized protocols. The prevalence rates of clinical and pathological diagnoses were analyzed in order to characterize the clinicopathological correlations. Results: Between August 2016 and December 2023, 185 brain specimens were collected and pathologically evaluated (SNUHBB: 117; PNUHBB: 27; SMCBB: 34; MJHBB: 7). The age at consent was 70.8±12.6 years, and the age at autopsy was 71.7±12.4 years. The four-most-common clinical diagnoses were Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia (20.0%), idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (15.1%), unspecified dementia (11.9%), and cognitively unimpaired (CU) (11.4%).Most cases of unspecified dementia had a pathological diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) vasculopathy (31.8%) or AD (31.8%). Remarkably, only 14.2% of CU cases had normal pathological findings. The three-most-common pathological diagnoses were AD (26.5%), CNS vasculopathy (14.1%), and Lewy body disease (13.5%). Conclusions These clinical and neuropathological findings provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying NDD in South Korea.

Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in South Korea, imposing substantial physical, emotional, and financial burdens on patients and society. Despite the high burden of symptom and complex care needs of HF patients, palliative care and hospice services remain underutilized in South Korea due to cultural, institutional, and knowledge-related barriers. This position statement from the Korean Society of Heart Failure emphasizes the need for integrating palliative and hospice care into HF management to improve quality of life and support holistic care for patients and their families. By clarifying the role of palliative care in HF and proposing practical referral criteria, this position statement aims to bridge the gap between HF and palliative care services in South Korea, ultimately improving patient-centered outcomes and aligning treatment with the goals and values of HF patients.

Background: and Purpose The National Brain Biobank of Korea (NBBK) is a brain bank consortium supported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the Korea National Institute of Health, and was launched in 2015 to support research into neurodegenerative disease dementia (NDD). This study aimed to introduce the NBBK and describes clinicopathological correlations based on analyses of data collected from the NBBK. Methods: Four hospital-based brain banks have been established in South Korea: Samsung Medical Center Brain Bank (SMCBB), Seoul National University Hospital Brain Bank (SNUHBB), Pusan National University Hospital Brain Bank (PNUHBB), and Myongji Hospital Brain Bank (MJHBB). Clinical and pathological data were collected from these brain banks using standardized protocols. The prevalence rates of clinical and pathological diagnoses were analyzed in order to characterize the clinicopathological correlations. Results: Between August 2016 and December 2023, 185 brain specimens were collected and pathologically evaluated (SNUHBB: 117; PNUHBB: 27; SMCBB: 34; MJHBB: 7). The age at consent was 70.8±12.6 years, and the age at autopsy was 71.7±12.4 years. The four-most-common clinical diagnoses were Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia (20.0%), idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (15.1%), unspecified dementia (11.9%), and cognitively unimpaired (CU) (11.4%).Most cases of unspecified dementia had a pathological diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) vasculopathy (31.8%) or AD (31.8%). Remarkably, only 14.2% of CU cases had normal pathological findings. The three-most-common pathological diagnoses were AD (26.5%), CNS vasculopathy (14.1%), and Lewy body disease (13.5%). Conclusions These clinical and neuropathological findings provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying NDD in South Korea.

Background: and Purpose The National Brain Biobank of Korea (NBBK) is a brain bank consortium supported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the Korea National Institute of Health, and was launched in 2015 to support research into neurodegenerative disease dementia (NDD). This study aimed to introduce the NBBK and describes clinicopathological correlations based on analyses of data collected from the NBBK. Methods: Four hospital-based brain banks have been established in South Korea: Samsung Medical Center Brain Bank (SMCBB), Seoul National University Hospital Brain Bank (SNUHBB), Pusan National University Hospital Brain Bank (PNUHBB), and Myongji Hospital Brain Bank (MJHBB). Clinical and pathological data were collected from these brain banks using standardized protocols. The prevalence rates of clinical and pathological diagnoses were analyzed in order to characterize the clinicopathological correlations. Results: Between August 2016 and December 2023, 185 brain specimens were collected and pathologically evaluated (SNUHBB: 117; PNUHBB: 27; SMCBB: 34; MJHBB: 7). The age at consent was 70.8±12.6 years, and the age at autopsy was 71.7±12.4 years. The four-most-common clinical diagnoses were Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia (20.0%), idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (15.1%), unspecified dementia (11.9%), and cognitively unimpaired (CU) (11.4%).Most cases of unspecified dementia had a pathological diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) vasculopathy (31.8%) or AD (31.8%). Remarkably, only 14.2% of CU cases had normal pathological findings. The three-most-common pathological diagnoses were AD (26.5%), CNS vasculopathy (14.1%), and Lewy body disease (13.5%). Conclusions These clinical and neuropathological findings provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying NDD in South Korea.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Recently, herbal medicines have gained attention for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common disease in elderly men. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of ethanol extract of Asparagi radix (EAR), which is traditionally used to treat various diseases, on BPH development using a testosteroneinduced BPH model.MATERIALS/METHODS: Testosterone propionate (TP)-treated Sprague–Dawley rats were used to establish a BPH model in vivo. EAR was orally administered along with TP, and finasteride was used as a positive control. All rats were sacrificed at the end of the experiment, and pathological changes in the prostate tissue and levels of key biomarkers associated with BPH pathogenesis were assessed. RESULTS: Oral administration of EAR significantly inhibited TP-induced BPH by reducing the prostate weight, lumen size, and epithelial thickness in a concentration-dependent manner. EAR also significantly abrogated the expression of 5α-reductase type 2 (SRD5A2), proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) induced by TP.Additionally, serum levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and PSA were elevated in the TP-induced group but decreased in the EAR-treated group. EAR also decreased the expression levels of the androgen receptor (AR) and its coactivators in TP-induced BPH model rats. CONCLUSION Our findings revealed that EAR protected against BPH by inhibiting 5α-reductase activity and AR signaling pathway, suggesting its potential for BPH treatment.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Recently, herbal medicines have gained attention for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common disease in elderly men. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of ethanol extract of Asparagi radix (EAR), which is traditionally used to treat various diseases, on BPH development using a testosteroneinduced BPH model.MATERIALS/METHODS: Testosterone propionate (TP)-treated Sprague–Dawley rats were used to establish a BPH model in vivo. EAR was orally administered along with TP, and finasteride was used as a positive control. All rats were sacrificed at the end of the experiment, and pathological changes in the prostate tissue and levels of key biomarkers associated with BPH pathogenesis were assessed. RESULTS: Oral administration of EAR significantly inhibited TP-induced BPH by reducing the prostate weight, lumen size, and epithelial thickness in a concentration-dependent manner. EAR also significantly abrogated the expression of 5α-reductase type 2 (SRD5A2), proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) induced by TP.Additionally, serum levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and PSA were elevated in the TP-induced group but decreased in the EAR-treated group. EAR also decreased the expression levels of the androgen receptor (AR) and its coactivators in TP-induced BPH model rats. CONCLUSION Our findings revealed that EAR protected against BPH by inhibiting 5α-reductase activity and AR signaling pathway, suggesting its potential for BPH treatment.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Recently, herbal medicines have gained attention for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common disease in elderly men. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of ethanol extract of Asparagi radix (EAR), which is traditionally used to treat various diseases, on BPH development using a testosteroneinduced BPH model.MATERIALS/METHODS: Testosterone propionate (TP)-treated Sprague–Dawley rats were used to establish a BPH model in vivo. EAR was orally administered along with TP, and finasteride was used as a positive control. All rats were sacrificed at the end of the experiment, and pathological changes in the prostate tissue and levels of key biomarkers associated with BPH pathogenesis were assessed. RESULTS: Oral administration of EAR significantly inhibited TP-induced BPH by reducing the prostate weight, lumen size, and epithelial thickness in a concentration-dependent manner. EAR also significantly abrogated the expression of 5α-reductase type 2 (SRD5A2), proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) induced by TP.Additionally, serum levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and PSA were elevated in the TP-induced group but decreased in the EAR-treated group. EAR also decreased the expression levels of the androgen receptor (AR) and its coactivators in TP-induced BPH model rats. CONCLUSION Our findings revealed that EAR protected against BPH by inhibiting 5α-reductase activity and AR signaling pathway, suggesting its potential for BPH treatment.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Recently, herbal medicines have gained attention for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common disease in elderly men. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of ethanol extract of Asparagi radix (EAR), which is traditionally used to treat various diseases, on BPH development using a testosteroneinduced BPH model.MATERIALS/METHODS: Testosterone propionate (TP)-treated Sprague–Dawley rats were used to establish a BPH model in vivo. EAR was orally administered along with TP, and finasteride was used as a positive control. All rats were sacrificed at the end of the experiment, and pathological changes in the prostate tissue and levels of key biomarkers associated with BPH pathogenesis were assessed. RESULTS: Oral administration of EAR significantly inhibited TP-induced BPH by reducing the prostate weight, lumen size, and epithelial thickness in a concentration-dependent manner. EAR also significantly abrogated the expression of 5α-reductase type 2 (SRD5A2), proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) induced by TP.Additionally, serum levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and PSA were elevated in the TP-induced group but decreased in the EAR-treated group. EAR also decreased the expression levels of the androgen receptor (AR) and its coactivators in TP-induced BPH model rats. CONCLUSION Our findings revealed that EAR protected against BPH by inhibiting 5α-reductase activity and AR signaling pathway, suggesting its potential for BPH treatment.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Recently, herbal medicines have gained attention for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common disease in elderly men. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of ethanol extract of Asparagi radix (EAR), which is traditionally used to treat various diseases, on BPH development using a testosteroneinduced BPH model.MATERIALS/METHODS: Testosterone propionate (TP)-treated Sprague–Dawley rats were used to establish a BPH model in vivo. EAR was orally administered along with TP, and finasteride was used as a positive control. All rats were sacrificed at the end of the experiment, and pathological changes in the prostate tissue and levels of key biomarkers associated with BPH pathogenesis were assessed. RESULTS: Oral administration of EAR significantly inhibited TP-induced BPH by reducing the prostate weight, lumen size, and epithelial thickness in a concentration-dependent manner. EAR also significantly abrogated the expression of 5α-reductase type 2 (SRD5A2), proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) induced by TP.Additionally, serum levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and PSA were elevated in the TP-induced group but decreased in the EAR-treated group. EAR also decreased the expression levels of the androgen receptor (AR) and its coactivators in TP-induced BPH model rats. CONCLUSION Our findings revealed that EAR protected against BPH by inhibiting 5α-reductase activity and AR signaling pathway, suggesting its potential for BPH treatment.

Purpose: Recently, we developed allele-discriminating priming system (ADPS) technology. This method increases the sensitivity of conventional quantitative polymerase chain reaction up to 100 folds, with limit of detection, 0.01%, with reinforced specificity. This prospective study aimed to develop and validate the accuracy of ADPS epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) Mutation Test Kit using clinical specimens. Materials and Methods: In total 189 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissues resected from patients with non–small cell lung cancer were used to perform a comparative evaluation of the ADPS EGFR Mutation Test Kit versus the cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2, which is the current gold standard. When the two methods had inconsistent results, next-generation sequencing–based CancerSCAN was utilized as a referee. Results: The overall agreement of the two methods was 97.4% (93.9%-99.1%); the positive percent agreement, 95.0% (88.7%-98.4%); and the negative percent agreement, 100.0% (95.9%-100.0%). EGFR mutations were detected at a frequency of 50.3% using the ADPS EGFR Mutation Test Kit and 52.9% using the cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2. There were 10 discrepant mutation calls between the two methods. CancerSCAN reproduced eight ADPS results. In two cases, mutant allele fraction was ultra-low at 0.02% and 0.06%, which are significantly below the limit of detection of the cobas assay and CancerSCAN. Based on the EGFR genotyping by ADPS, the treatment options could be switched in five patients. Conclusion The highly sensitive and specific ADPS EGFR Mutation Test Kit would be useful in detecting the patients who have lung cancer with EGFR mutation, and can benefit from the EGFR targeted therapy.