Pathogenic KCNH2-G53S variant in the PAS domain influences the electrophysiological phenotype in long QT syndrome type 2.

Background: Long QT syndrome type 2 (LQT2) is an arrythmia caused by loss-of-function mutations in KCNH2, leading to impaired Kv11.1 channel function.

Objective: To better understand LQT2, we examined the electrophysiological differences related to the G53S variant, which is located within the PAS domain of KCNH2, using patient-specific human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs).

Material, Health, and Social Vulnerability and Loneliness Among Older Adults: From the Welfare Regime Perspective.

Loneliness in later life is a significant global public health issue that negatively impacts well-being, life satisfaction, and mental health. This study investigates how material, health, and social vulnerabilities contribute to loneliness among older adults using a welfare regime framework. It examines the link between vulnerability and loneliness in the United States, Korea, Sweden, Spain, and Germany using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) alongside its international sister studies, encompassing both Western and East Asian welfare states.

Injured Cardiac Tissue-Targeted Delivery of TGFβ1 siRNA by FAP Aptamer-Functionalized Extracellular Vesicles Promotes Cardiac Repair.

Purpose: Small-interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy holds significant potential for treating cardiac injury; however, its clinical application is constrained by poor blood stability and insufficient cellular uptake. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as an effective delivery system for siRNA in vivo; but their lack of specific cell or tissue-targeting ability remains a major challenge. Thus, we aimed to develop an EV-based delivery system capable of targeted delivery of therapeutic siRNA to injured cardiac tissue for cardiac repair.

Establishment of a human-induced pluripotent stem cell line from a long QT syndrome type 2 patient harboring a KCNH2 mutation.

Long QT syndrome type 2 (LQT2) is a heart disorder resulting from a loss-of-function mutation in theKCNH2gene that causes loss of Kv11.1 channel function, potentially resulting in syncope, arrhythmias, and sudden death. We derived induced pluripotent stem cell line from PBMC of LQT2 patient carrying a variant of pathogenic variant (c.

The novel prognostic marker SPOCK2 regulates tumour progression in melanoma.

Secreted protein acidic and cysteine rich/osteonectin, cwcv and kazal-like domain proteoglycan 2 (SPOCK2) is a protein that regulates cell differentiation and growth. Recent studies have reported that SPOCK2 plays important roles in the progression of various human cancers; however, the role of SPOCK2 in melanoma remains unknown. Therefore, this study investigated the roles of SPOCK2 and the related mechanisms in melanoma progression.

Inhibitory Effects of Fermented Sprouted Oat Extracts on Oxidative Stress and Melanin Overproduction.

Hyperpigmentation occurs due to irregular secretion of melanin pigment in the skin. This can affect quality of life depending on its severity, so prevention and management are essential. Oats ( L.

Small extracellular vesicle-mediated CRISPR-Cas9 RNP delivery for cardiac-specific genome editing.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein 9 (Cas9) gene editing holds immense potential for genetic manipulation, its clinical application is hindered by the absence of an efficient heart-targeted drug delivery system. Herein, we developed CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-loaded extracellular vesicles (EVs) conjugated with cardiac-targeting peptide (T) for precise cardiac-specific genome editing.

Engineered small extracellular vesicle-mediated NOX4 siRNA delivery for targeted therapy of cardiac hypertrophy.

Small-interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy is considered a powerful therapeutic strategy for treating cardiac hypertrophy, an important risk factor for subsequent cardiac morbidity and mortality. However, the lack of safe and efficient in vivo delivery of siRNAs is a major challenge for broadening its clinical applications. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are a promising delivery system for siRNAs but have limited cell/tissue-specific targeting ability.

Complete genome sequence of pectin-degrading Flavobacteriaceae bacterium GSB9.

Pectic oligosaccharides, which are considered to be potential prebiotics, may be generated by pectin-degrading enzymes. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of the pectin-degrading marine bacterium, Flavobacteriaceae bacterium GSB9, which was isolated from seawater of South Korea. The complete genome sequence revealed that the chromosome was 3,630,376 bp in size, had a G + C content of 36.

Long-Term Health Effects of Work Trajectories Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: The Mediating Role of Work, Material, and Social Environments.

Using data from 14 waves (2003-2016) of the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS) ( = 1,627 individuals aged 45-64; 22778 observations), in this study, we conducted sequence analysis and a multi-categorical variable mediation analysis (1) to examine to what extent long-term work histories exhibit varying degrees of de-standardization and precariousness using sequence analysis (2) to explore the potential mediating effects of work, material, and social environments in the association between multiple work sequences and self-rated health. We found the coexistence of a relatively stable long-term employment pattern and a high prevalence of precariousness. The health and economic risks of precarious work fall disproportionately on older workers.

Diabetes severity is strongly associated with the risk of active tuberculosis in people with type 2 diabetes: a nationwide cohort study with a 6-year follow-up.

Background: Many have the rising coincidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and endemic tuberculosis (TB). We evaluated whether the severity of diabetes is associated with an increased risk of active TB infection.

Methods:  Using a nationally representative database from the Korean National Health Insurance System, 2, 489, 718 people with type 2 DM who underwent a regular health checkup during 2009-2012 were followed up until the end of 2018.

Agarolytic Pathway in the Newly Isolated Aquimarina sp. Bacterial Strain ERC-38 and Characterization of a Putative β-agarase.

Marine microbes, particularly Bacteroidetes, are a rich source of enzymes that can degrade diverse marine polysaccharides. Aquimarina sp. ERC-38, which belongs to the Bacteroidetes phylum, was isolated from seawater in South Korea.

Generation of two PITX2 knock-out human induced pluripotent stem cell lines using CRISPR/Cas9 system.

PITX2 is a homeobox gene located in the human 4q25 locus and is commonly associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). Here, we generated two PITX2 knock-out human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. The edited iPSCs maintained fullpluripotency, normal karyotype and spontaneousdifferentiation capability.

Severity of underweight affects the development of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease; a nationwide longitudinal study.

Regarding to known association between underweight and non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD), the underweight was simply categorized as body mass index (BMI) less than 18.5 kg/m, mainly because of its low prevalence. We aimed to better define the impact of BMI severity on NTM-PD development.

Clinical characteristics and survival of patients concurrently diagnosed with lung cancer and active pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: The diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in patients suspected of lung cancer is difficult because of the similarities in signs, symptoms, and radiologic results. The clinical and radiologic characteristics of the co-occurrence of pulmonary TB and lung cancer have not been fully evaluated.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with lung cancer and active pulmonary TB from January 2009 to December 2017 in four hospitals of the Catholic University of Korea were retrospectively reviewed.

Generation of three TTN knock-out human induced pluripotent stem cell lines using CRISPR/Cas9 system.

TTN mutations are the common genetic cause for various types of cardiomyopathies (e.g., dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy) and skeletal myopathies.