Hallym University

About: Hallym University is a education organization based out in Chuncheon, South Korea. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Medicine. The organization has 10605 authors who have published 18891 publications receiving 302498 citations.

Coaxial structured collagen–alginate scaffolds: fabrication, physical properties, and biomedical application for skin tissue regeneration

Abstract: Collagen is the most promising natural biomaterial and has been used in various tissue engineering applications for skin, bone, and cartilage because it provides good biocompatibility and low antigenicity. Although collagen is an excellent candidate material for various biomedical applications, its difficult processability and mechanical properties have remained important limitations. To overcome the problems, several methods including indirect printing combined with a sacrificing mold and low-temperature printing were suggested. However, it is difficult to fabricate precisely controlled 3D pore structure using the methods. In a previous study, we introduced a three-dimensional (3D) pore-structure-controlled collagen scaffold fabricated by a 3D dispensing system supplemented with a cryogenic and freeze-drying system. The fabricated scaffold had remarkably good cellular behaviour (cell migration and differentiation) but poor mechanical stability due to the highly porous structure consisting of micro-sized strands and poor mechanical nature of collagen. To overcome this deficiency, we designed a hybrid (core/shell) scaffold composed of an outer collagen and an inner alginate. The collagen/alginate scaffolds exhibited good structural stability (core–shell structure), increased Young's modulus about seven times compared to pure collagen scaffold under a similar pore-structure, and resulted in good cell viability, similar to a pure collagen scaffold. In an in vivo test, the hybrid scaffold was used as a dermal substitute and provided good granulation tissue formation and rapid vascularisation.

Pathology Reporting of Thyroid Core Needle Biopsy: A Proposal of the Korean Endocrine Pathology Thyroid Core Needle Biopsy Study Group

Abstract: In recent years throughout Korea, the use of ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) has become common for the preoperative diagnosis of thyroid nodules. However, there is no consensus on the pathology reporting system for thyroid CNB. The Korean Endocrine Pathology Thyroid Core Needle Biopsy Study Group held a conference on thyroid CNB pathology and developed guidelines through contributions from the participants. This article discusses the outcome of the discussions that led to a consensus on the pathology reporting of thyroid CNB.

Tumor-associated macrophage, angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis markers predict prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer patients

Abstract: The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a critical player in tumor progression, metastasis and therapy outcomes. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a well-recognized core element of the TME and generally characterized as M2-like macrophages. TAMs are believed to contribute to tumor progression, but the mechanism behind this remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the clinical, angiogenic, and lymphangiogenic significance of TAMs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Utilizing combined immunohistochemistry and digital image analysis, we assessed CD68, CD163, VEGF-A, and VEGF-C expression in 349 patients with NSCLC. Subsequently, the potential association between M2 TAMs and angiogenic VEGF-A and/or lymphangiogenic VEGF-C was evaluated for its prognostic value. Furthermore, the effects of M2 TAMs on angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis were explored via an in vitro co-culture system. CD68 and CD163 expression were found to directly correlate with VEGF-A and/or VEGF-C expression (all p < 0.001). Furthermore, elevated M2 ratio (CD163+/CD68+) was significantly associated with poor overall survival (p = 0.023). Dual expression of M2 ratiohigh and VEGF-Chigh (M2 ratiohighVEGF-Chigh) was correlated with worse overall survival (p = 0.033). Multivariate analysis revealed that M2 ratiohigh [HR (95% CI) = 1.53 (1.01–2.33), p = 0.046] and combined M2 ratiohighVEGF-Chigh expression [HR (95% CI) = 2.01 (1.28–3.16), p = 0.003] were independent predictors of poor overall survival. Notably, we confirmed that M2 macrophages significantly enhanced the protein and mRNA expression of both VEGF-A and VEGF-C, while M1 macrophages induced only mRNA expression of VEGF-A in A549 cells. This study suggests that TAMs are significantly associated with angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, contributing to the progression of NSCLC. Furthermore, elevated M2 ratio, similar to combined high M2 ratio and high VEGF-C expression, is a strong indicator of poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC, providing insight for future TAM-based immunotherapy strategies.