Jun Jung Choi

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignant tumor in women worldwide and contributes significantly as the primary cause of female cancer related mortality. Hence, research is focused on discovering new and effective treatment targets. The breast tumor microenvironment (TME) comprising of recruited host stromal cells and tumor cells, has recently emerged as an important player in tumor progression, with the potential for future treatment. The TME comprises immune system elements (such

Cancer has long been considered a genetic disease characterized by a myriad of mutations that drive cancer progression. Recent accumulating evidence indicates that the dysregulated metabolism in cancer cells is more than a hallmark of cancer but may be the underlying cause of the tumor. Most of the well-characterized oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes function to sustain the altered metabolic state in cancer. Here, we review evidence supporting the altered metabolic state in cancer including ke

The tumour microenvironment is a key regulators of tumour progression through the secretion of growth factors that activate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Induction of EMT is a key step for transition from a benign state to a metastatic tumour. Adipose tissue forms a bulk portion of the breast cancer microenvironment, emerging evidence indicates the potential for adipocytes to influence tumour progression through the secretion of adipokines that can induce EMT. The molecular mechanisms

Adipocytes influence breast cancer behaviour via fatty acid release into the tumour microenvironment. Co-culturing human adipocytes and breast cancer cells increased CD36 expression, with fatty acid import into breast cancer cells. Genetic ablation of CD36 attenuates adipocyte-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness. We show a feedforward loop between CD36 and STAT3; where CD36 activates STAT3 signalling and STAT3 binds to the CD36 promoter, regulating its expression. CD36 e

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the differential expression of markers related to metabolic, mitochondrial and autophagy status in different molecular subtypes of breast cancer. METHODS: Using tissue microarray sections generated from 740 cases of breast cancer, we performed immunohistochemical staining for Glut-1, CAIX, MCT4, ATP synthase, glutaminase, BNIP3, Beclin-1, LC3A, LC3B and p62. Based on the immunohistochemical expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide, with a developmental process spanning decades. The malignant cells recruit a variety of cells including fibroblasts, endothelial cells, immune cells, and adipocytes, creating the tumor microenvironment. The tumor microenvironment has emerged as active participants in breast cancer progression and response to treatment through autocrine and paracrine interaction with the malignant cells. Adipose tissue is abundant in the breast cance

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of metabolism-related proteins such as Glut-1 and carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) according to breast cancer molecular subtype. METHODS: We generated a tissue microarray of 276 breast cancer patients and performed immunohistochemical staining for known metabolism-related proteins, which were evaluated according to the molecular subtype. RESULTS: The expression of IGF-1, MIF, and HIF-1α was correlated with the HER-2 type (p < 0.0

This study was performed to identify molecular subtypes of triple negative breast carcinoma (TNBC) based on immunohistochemical markers. We prepared a tissue microarray from TNBC specimens of 122 patients and performed immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin (CK) 5/6, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), claudin 3, claudin 4, claudin 7, E-cadherin, androgen receptor (AR), and gammma-glutamyltransferase (GGT1). Based on immunoreactivity, tumors were classified into basal-like (CK5/6 posi

The microenvironment of breast cancer comprises predominantly of adipocytes. Adipocytes drive cancer progression through the secretion adipocytokines. Adipocytes induce epithelial mesenchymal transition of breast cancer cells through paracrine IL-6/Stat3 signalling. Treatment approaches that can target adipocytes in the microenvironment and abrogate paracrine signals that drive breast cancer growth and metastasis are urgently needed. Repositioning of old drugs has become an effective approach fo

Studies have investigated biguanide-derived agents for the treatment of cancers and have reported their effects against tumorspheres (TSs). The purpose of this study was determining the effects of HL156A, a newly designed biguanide with improved pharmacokinetics, on glioblastoma TSs (GMB TSs) and assess the feasibility of this drug as a new line of therapy against glioblastoma, alone or combined with a conventional therapeutic agent, temozolomide(TMZ). The effects of HL156A, alone and combined w

We analyzed histopathological features of core needle biopsy (CNB) and surgical excision specimen comparatively in 129 patients with surgically proven phyllodes tumor (PT). Stromal characteristics including cellularity, atypia, mitosis, overgrowth, tissue fragmentation, and the tumor margin were assessed. Benign/borderline/malignant phyllodes tumor (PT) were diagnosed in 90 (69.8%)/30 (23.3%)/9 (7.0%) patients. Among the 90 cases of benign PTs, 67 cases (74.4%) were diagnosed concordantly in CNB

Purpose . The purpose of this study was to assess the expression of pentose phosphate pathway- (PPP-) related proteins and their significance in clinicopathologic factors of breast cancer. Methods . Immunohistochemical staining for PPP-related proteins (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase [G6PDH], 6-phosphogluconolactonase [6PGL], 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase [6PGDH], and nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 [NRF2]) was performed using tissue microarray (TMA) of 348 breast cancers. mRNA

// Junjeong Choi 1,* , Ji Hae Nahm 2,* and Sang Kyum Kim 2 1 College of Pharmacy, Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Yonsei University, Incheon, Republic of Korea 2 Department of Pathology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Sang Kyum Kim, email: // Keywords : carcinoma of unknown primary origin, CK20, Culine&rsquo;s prognostic model, prognosis, unfavorable group Received : July 22, 20