Kyung Hee University · 医学
Professor Moon Nyeo Park's research lab focuses on the molecular mechanisms of cancer and liver diseases, with a particular emphasis on mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and the regulatory roles of microRNAs and exosomes in the tumor microenvironment. The lab investigates natural product-derived compounds—especially herbal formulations like BK002—for their multi-targeted anti-cancer and hepatoprotective effects, aiming to overcome drug resistance in aggressive cancers such as glioblastoma and castration-resistant prostate cancer. By integrating systems biology and translational research, the lab explores how natural compounds modulate key signaling pathways, miRNA expression, and redox homeostasis to suppress tumor progression and metastasis.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Common care for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a surgical resection followed by radiotherapy and temozolomide- (TMZ-) based chemotherapy. Unfortunately, these therapies remain inadequate involving severe mortality and recurrence. Recently, new approaches discovering combinations of multiple inhibitors have been proposed along with the identification of key driver mutations that are specific to each patient. To date, this approach is still limited by the lack of effective therapy. Hopefully, no
Mitochondria are double-membrane organelles that play a role in ATP synthesis, calcium homeostasis, oxidation-reduction status, apoptosis, and inflammation. Several human disorders have been linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. It has been found that traditional therapeutic herbs are effective on alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which are leading causes of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in re
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a dual role in cancer progression, acting as both signaling molecules and drivers of oxidative damage. Emerging evidence highlights the intricate interplay between ROS, microRNAs (miRNAs), and exosomes within the tumor microenvironment (TME), forming a regulatory axis that modulates immune responses, angiogenesis, and therapeutic resistance. In particular, oxidative stress not only stimulates exosome biogenesis but also influences the selective packaging of red
BK002 consists of <i>Achyranthes japonica</i> Nakai (AJN) and <i>Melandrium firmum</i> Rohrbach (MFR) that have been used as herbal medicines in China and Korea. AJN and MFR have been reported to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-cancer activities, although the synergistic targeting multiple anti-cancer mechanism in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) has not been well reported. However, the drug resistance and transition to the androgen-independent state of prostate cance
<i>Daemonorops draco</i> Blume (DD), also called dragon's blood, has been used as a traditional Korean medicine, especially for relieving pain caused by wound infection. Recently, it has been described that DD has antibacterial and analgesic effects. In this study, the underlying anticancer effect of DD associated with apoptosis was investigated in acute myeloid leukemia cell lines U937 and THP-1. DD exhibited cytotoxic effects and induced apoptosis in U937 and THP-1 cells. Moreover, DD treatmen
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a highly malignant neoplasm, is classified as one of the most severe and devastating types of cancer. PDAC is a notable malignancy that exhibits a discouraging prognosis and a rising occurrence. The interplay between diabetes and pancreatic cancer exhibits a reciprocal causation. The identified metabolic disorder has been observed to possess noteworthy consequences on health outcomes, resulting in elevated rates of morbidity. The principal mechanisms invo
Asthma remains a significant global health challenge, demanding innovative approaches to treatment. Traditional medicine has a rich history of using natural products to alleviate asthmatic symptoms. However, transitioning from these traditional remedies to modern drug discovery approaches has provided fresh insights into the mechanisms and effectiveness of these natural products. This study provides our comprehensive review, which examines the current state of knowledge in the treatment of asthm
<i>Achyranthes japonica</i> (Miq.) Nakai (AJN) and <i>Melandrium firmum</i> (Siebold and Zucc.) Rohrb. (MFR) are medicinal plants recognized for their bioactive phytochemicals, including ecdysteroids, anthraquinones, and flavonoids. This study investigates the anticancer properties of key constituents of these plants, focusing on the BK002 formulation, a novel combination of AJN and MFR. Specifically, the research employs advanced molecular docking and <i>in silico</i> analyses to assess the int
Objective: Though keratoplasty is used to treat corneal blindness, donor shortage, tendency of stimulated keratocyte transformed to fibroblast and immunological rejection are still big problems. As a solution, cornea tissue engineering using non-corneal tissue sourced cells become emerging issue. Thus, this study was designed to find novel material for keratoplasty. Methods: Human turbinate-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hTMSCs) were obtained from patients and cultured with differentiation medi
Cancer cell plasticity drives metastasis and therapy resistance through dynamic transitions between epithelial, mesenchymal, and neural crest stem-like (NCSC) states; however, a unifying mechanism that stabilizes these transitions remains undefined. To address this gap, we introduce a N-cadherin (CDH2)-centered redox-adhesion-exosome (RAX) hub that links oxidative signaling, adhesion dynamics, and exosome-mediated immune communication into a closed-loop framework. Within this network, reactive o
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common and incurable leukemia subtype. Despite extensive research into the disease's intricate molecular mechanisms, effective treatments or expanded diagnostic or prognostic markers for AML have not yet been identified. The morphological, immunophenotypic, cytogenetic, biomolecular, and clinical characteristics of AML patients are extensive and complex. Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) consist of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and cancer cells transformed by
Redox dysregulation, ferroptosis evasion, and immune suppression are major barriers in cancer therapy. SH003, a multi-herbal formulation standardized under GMP conditions and evaluated in early-phase clinical studies (NCT03081819; KCT0004770), demonstrated a favorable safety profile supporting its translational potential. Preclinical studies reveal that SH003 disrupts mitochondrial homeostasis, triggers endoplasmic reticulum stress apoptosis, and sensitizes resistant tumors to ferroptosis via su
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