Kyung Hee University · Medicine
Professor Jinbong Park's research lab focuses on the development of natural product-based therapeutics for metabolic disorders and cancer, with a strong emphasis on the molecular mechanisms underlying obesity, cancer progression, and immune modulation. The lab investigates bioactive compounds from plants and marine sources—such as citrus, cinnamon, black raspberry, and seaweed—to explore their anti-obesity, anti-cancer, and immunomodulatory effects through in vitro and in vivo models. A key research direction involves combining natural compounds with physical therapies like hyperthermia to enhance therapeutic efficacy and overcome resistance mechanisms.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Despite recent developments in diagnosis and treatment options, cancer remains one of the most critical threats to health. Several anti-cancer therapies have been identified, but further research is needed to provide more treatment options that are safe and effective for cancer. Hyperthermia (HT) is a promising treatment strategy for cancer because of its safety and cost-effectiveness. This review summarizes studies on the anti-cancer effects of HT and the detailed mechanisms. In addition, combi
Obesity is a global health threat. Herein, we evaluated the underlying mechanism of anti-obese features of bitter orange (<i>Citrus aurantium</i> Linné, CA). Eight-week-administration of CA in high fat diet-induced obese C57BL/6 mice resulted in a significant decrease of body weight, adipose tissue weight and serum cholesterol. In further in vitro studies, we observed decreased lipid droplets in CA-treated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Suppressed peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and
Lung cancer is the largest cause of cancer-induced deaths. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most frequently observed subtype of lung cancer. Although recent studies have provided many therapeutic options, there is still a need for effective and safe treatments. This paper reports the combined effects of cinnamaldehyde (CNM), a flavonoid from cinnamon, together with hyperthermia, a therapeutic option for cancer treatment, on the A549 NSCLC cell line. A hyperthermia treatment of 43 °C pot
The alteration of white adipose tissue (WAT) "browning", a change of white into beige fat, has been considered as a new therapeutic strategy to treat obesity. In this study, we investigated the browning effect of black raspberry (<i>Rubus coreanus</i> Miquel) using in vitro and in vivo models. Black raspberry water extract (BRWE) treatment inhibited lipid accumulation in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and zebrafish. To evaluate the thermogenic activity, BRWE was orally administered for 2 w
Obesity is known to be associated with risk and aggressiveness of cancer. Melanoma, the most lethal type of skin cancer, is also closely related to the prevalence of obesity. In this study, we established a cancer-obesity comorbidity (COC) model to investigate the effects of vanillic acid (VA). After a five-week administration with a high-fat diet (HFD) to induce obesity, subcutaneous allograft of B16BL6 cells were followed, and VA was orally administrated for an additional two weeks. VA-fed mic
<i>Sargassum horneri</i> (SH) is a seaweed that has several features that benefit health. In this study, we investigated the immune-enhancing effect of SH, focusing on the role of spleen-mediated immune functions. Chromatographic analysis of SH identified six types of monosaccharide contents, including mannose, rhamnose glucose, galactose xylose and fucose. SH increased cell proliferation of primary cultured naïve splenocytes treated with or without cyclophosphamide (CPA), an immunosuppression a
Obesity has become a major health threat in developed countries. However, current medications for obesity are limited because of their adverse effects. Interest in natural products for the treatment of obesity is thus rapidly growing. Korean Medicine (KM) is characterized by the wide use of herbal formulas. However, the combination rule of herbal formulas in KM lacks experimental evidence. According to Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica, the earliest book of herbal medicine, Veratrum nigrum (V
Effects of isoquercitrin (IQ) on anaphylactic responses were examined in cardiovascular systems of experimental animals. In pithed rats, IQ at 30 and 100 mg/kg (intravenous) significantly blunted both the initial hypertensive and the ensuing hypotensive responses during anaphylaxis. Death rate and tachycardia were also significantly inhibited after the same IQ doses in these rats. In isolated guinea pig hearts, IQ infusion at 30-100 μg/mL markedly reduced anaphylaxis-related coronary flow decrea
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease in elderly men which can be characterized by an abnormal enlargement of the prostate associated with lower urinary symptoms. Current medications available for BPH treatment display several adverse effects; thus, the search for effective treatments with less side effects is still ongoing. In this study, we investigated the effect of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Preparata (dried root of <i>Aconitum carmichaelii</i> Debx.; AL), which is an herb used
This study was performed in order to investigate the antiobese effects of the ethanolic extract of Veratri Nigri Rhizoma et Radix (VN), a herb with limited usage, due to its toxicology. An HPLC analysis identified jervine as a constituent of VN. By an Oil Red O assay and a Real-Time RT-PCR assay, VN showed higher antiadipogenic effects than jervine. In high-fat diet- (HFD-) induced obese C57BL/6J mice, VN administration suppressed body weight gain. The levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated
The enormous library of natural products and herbal medicine prescriptions presents endless research avenues. However, the lack of research evidence and trials on cancer-induced cachexia limit the therapeutic potential of natural products. Cancer-induced cachexia is a systemic wasting syndrome characterized by continuous body weight loss with skeletal muscle and adipose tissue atrophy. Cancer cachexia is a problem in itself and reduces the quality of life by lessening the treatment efficacy of a
Injury-derived mtFPs suppress global PMN localization into complex chemotactic environments like infected alveoli. Transplantation of naive exogenous human neutrophils into the airway circumvents that pathologic process and prevents development of post-traumatic pneumonia without injury noted to the recipients.
• A novel conjugated polymer of multi-arm-PEG and dimethylsiloxane (CPMD) was disclosed for the first time. • 4-CPMD exhibited superior transdermal drug delivery efficiency for deoxycholic acid (DCA) through topical administration. • DCA-loaded CPMD demonstrated significant fat reduction in an obesity mouse model. Transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS) have garnered significant interest within clinical and translational medicine due to their non-invasive nature, ease of drug administration, an
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