Tae Woo Kim

Kaempferol, a flavonoid, found in traditional medicine, fruits, and vegetables, and an HDAC inhibitor, is a powerful anti-cancer reagent against various cancer cell lines. However, detailed mechanisms involved in the treatment of gastric cancer (GC) using kaempferol are not fully understood. In our study, we investigated the biological activity and molecular mechanism involved in kaempferol-mediated treatment of GC. Kaempferol promoted autophagy and cell death, and increased LC3-I to LC3-II conv

Hypoxia is a major obstacle to gastric cancer (GC) therapy and leads to chemoresistance as GC cells are frequently exposed to the hypoxia environment. Apigenin, a flavonoid found in traditional medicine, fruits, and vegetables and an HDAC inhibitor, is a powerful anti-cancer agent against various cancer cell lines. However, detailed mechanisms involved in the treatment of GC using APG are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the biological activity of and molecular mechanisms inv

Previous reports suggested that cinnamaldehyde (CA), the bioactive ingredient in Cinnamomum cassia, can suppress tumor growth, migratory, and invasive abilities. However, the role and molecular mechanisms of CA in GC are not completely understood. In the present study, we found that CA-induced ER stress and cell death via the PERK-CHOP axis and Ca²⁺ release in GC cells. Inhibition of ER stress using specific-siRNA blocked CA-induced cell death. Interestingly, CA treatment resulted in

In gastric cancer (GC), hypoxia is one of the greatest obstacles to cancer therapy. In this present study, we report that SH003, an herbal formulation, induces ER stress via PERK-ATF4-CHOP signaling in GC. SH003-mediated ER stress inhibits G9a, a histone methyltransferase, by reducing STAT3 phosphorylation and activates autophagy, indicating to the dissociation of Beclin-1 and autophagy initiation from Bcl-2/Beclin-1 complex. However, the inhibition of PERK and CHOP inhibited SH003-induced cell

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is important in promoting the immune response in various cancers. Recently, TLR4 is highly expressed in a stage-dependent manner in gastric cancer, but the regulatory mechanism of TLR4 expression has been not elucidated it. Here, we investigated the mechanism underlying regulation of TLR4 expression through promoter methylation and histone modification between transcriptional regulation and silencing of the TLR4 gene in gastric cancer cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitat

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is a well-known therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes as well as is a potential target for effective anti-cancer drug, since PPARγ ligands such as ciglitazone (Cig) frequently cause cell death in many types of cancer cells and suppress tumor growth. However, many cancer patients acquire chemo-resistance or radio-resistance after chemo or radiotherapy, and it is still unclear. In the difficulty of well-known anti-cancer drugs, we developed

Fisetin, a well-known plant flavonol from the natural flavonoid group, is found in traditional medicines, plants, vegetables, and fruits. Fisetin also has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of fisetin in LPS-induced Raw264.7 cells and found that fisetin reduced the LPS-induced production of pro-inflammation markers, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, demonstrating the anti-inflammatory effects of fisetin. Furthermore, this

Damage to mitochondria induces mitophagy, a cellular process that is gaining interest for its therapeutic relevance to a variety of human diseases. However, the mechanism underlying mitochondrial depolarization and clearance in mitophagy remains poorly understood. We previously reported that mitochondria-induced cell death was caused by knockdown of Neisseria gonorrhoeae opacity-associated-interacting protein 5 in gastric cancer. In this study, we show that Neisseria gonorrhoeae opacity-associat

Danggui-Sayuk-Ga-Osuyu-Saenggang-Tang (DSGOST in Korean, Danggui-Sini-Jia-Wuzhuyu-Shengian-Tang in Chinese, and Tokishigyakukagoshuyushokyoto (TJ-38) in Japanese), a well-known traditional Korean/Chinese/Japanese medicine, has long been used to treat vascular diseases such as Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). However, anticancer effect of DSGOST remains elusive. In this study, we checked if DSGOST has an anticancer effect against gastric cancer cells, and investigated the mechanisms underlying DSGOST r

Gastric cancer is one of the most prevalent cancer types worldwide, and its resistance to cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, has made treating it a major challenge. Paeoniflorin (PF) is one potential pharmacological treatment derived from paeony root. However, in cancer, the molecular mechanisms and biological functions of PF are still unclear. In the present study, we found that PF exerts anti-tumor effects in vivo and in vitro and induces apoptotic cell death through ER s

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARɣ) agonists exert powerful anticancer effects by suppressing tumor growth. In this study, we developed PPZ023 (1-(2-(ethylthio)benzyl)-4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazine), a novel PPAR ligand candidate, and investigated the underlying signaling pathways in both non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and radio-resistant NSCLC cells. To identify whether PPZ023 has anticancer effects in NSCLC and radioresistant NSCLC cells, we performed WST-1, LDH, Weste

<i>Angelica gigas</i> exerts powerful anti-tumor and anti-cancer effects in various cancer cell types. However, there have been few studies regarding the anti-cancer effect of nodakenin, a bioactive compound of <i>Angelica gigas</i>, in vivo and in vitro on breast cancers. I found that nodakenin, in a concentration-dependent manner, inhibits breast cancer cell viability and decreases the tumor volume in mice. Additionally, nodakenin induces caspase-3-dependent apoptosis in breast cancer cells; h

Kallikrein-related peptidase 6 (KLK6) is a biomarker of gastric cancer associated with poor prognosis. Mechanisms by which KLK6 could be exploited for chemotherapeutic use are unclear. We evaluated auranofin (AF), a compound with cytotoxic effects, in KLK6-deficient cells, and we investigated whether KLK6 expression induces autophagy and acquisition of drug resistance in gastric cancer. Using cultured human cells and a mouse xenograft model, we investigated how KLK6 affects antitumor-reagent-ind

Taken together, our results suggest that CB11, a novel PPARγ agonist, may be a novel anti-cancer agent, and it could be useful in a therapeutic strategy to overcome radio-resistance in radiation-exposed NSCLC.

Chemotherapy is a powerful anti-tumor therapeutic strategy; however, resistance to treatment remains a serious concern. To overcome chemoresistance, combination therapy with anticancer drugs is a potential strategy. We developed a novel herbal extract, JI017, with lower toxicity and lesser side effects. JI017 induced programmed cell death and excessive unfolded protein response through the release of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and calcium in breast cancer cells. JI017 treatment