Hyun‐Woo Shin

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) such as exosomes and microvesicles released from cells are potential biomarkers for blood-based diagnostic applications. To exploit EVs as diagnostic biomarkers, an effective pre-analytical process is necessary. However, recent studies performed with blood-borne EVs have been hindered by the lack of effective purification strategies. In this study, an efficient EV isolation method was developed by using polyethylene glycol/dextran aqueous two phase system (ATPS). Thi

hNECs undergo EMT during hypoxia and this process is critically mediated by HIF-1α and pSmad3. This study shows that hypoxia-induced EMT is likely to contribute to nasal polyposis in CRS, and suggests that HIF-1α be viewed as a therapeutic target for nasal polyposis.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a heterogeneous and multifactorial inflammatory disease characterized by involvement of diverse types of inflammatory cells. Asian CRS patients frequently show infiltration of neutrophils and an elevated level of interferon (IFN)-γ; by contrast, western patients exhibit eosinophil infiltration and enhanced levels of Th2-related cytokines. Neutrophilia in tissues decreases sensitivity to corticosteroids, but the mechanisms underlying the progression of neutrophilic

An electronic nose comprising an array of six commercial odour sensors has been used to monitor not only different strains, but also the growth phase, of cyanobacteria which is normally called blue green algal. A series of experiments were carried out to analyse the nature of two closely related strains of cyanobacteria, Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 7806 that produces a toxin and PCC 7941 that does not. The authors have constructed a measurement system for the testing of the cyanobacteria in water

We established an in vivo model of chronic allergic rhinosinusitis with nasal polypoid lesions using HDM aeroallergen. This study demonstrated that the HDM+SEB-induced murine polyp model could be utilised as a suitable model for nasal polyps, especially with both eosinophil and mast cell infiltration.

These findings suggested that IL-13- or IL-17A-induced RUNX2 contributed to new bone formation in CRS patients through its effect on the activity of osteoblasts. RUNX2 may be a novel target for preventing neoosteogenesis in CRS patients.

This study demonstrated that ED in OSAS may improve following UPPP. Better disease-specific QOL was observed after both surgical and nonsurgical therapies in OSAS. These findings suggest that interventions for OSAS can provide the alleviation of ED and increase QOL in OSAS patients with ED, especially if they had pronounced complaints of ED and wide neck circumferences.

PGC1α oppositely regulates cancer metastasis in melanoma, breast, and pancreatic cancer; however, little is known about its impact on lung cancer metastasis. Transcriptome and in vivo xenograft analysis show that a decreased PGC1α correlates with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and lung cancer metastasis. The deletion of a single Pgc1α allele in mice promotes bone metastasis of Kras^G12D-driven lung cancer. Mechanistically, PGC1α predominantly activates ID1 expression, whic

Studies on the role played by IL-25 in the pathogenesis of CRSwNP are accumulating and suggest the possibility of a novel therapeutic strategy for treating CRSwNP.

Animal models have elicited insights into the pathogenesis of CRS and also have been useful in testing new treatment modalities. Although there are still clear limitations in the animal studies, newly proposed or revised animal models would be helpful to understand the exact pathophysiology of CRS.