noImage

Prof. Kim Hye-seong and Jang Bo-gun from the Department of Pathology at JNU School of Medicine have discovered Pyrvinium as a potential candidate for a treatment for premalignant lesion in stomach.

This research was conducted through international joint research with Prof. Choi Eun-young and Prof. James R. Goldenring at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the U.S. who are leading the research on precancerous stomach lesions worldwide. In particular, this study is significant in that it presented the possibility of establishing patient-specific treatment strategies using gastrointestinal organoids (artificial organs) in 20 gastric cancer patients.

According to the National Health Insurance Corporation, Korea has maintained the top incidence of stomach cancer among OECD with an increase of 10% every year. Intestinal. epithelial dysplasia and metaplasia are known as precancerous lesions of stomach cancer. Intestinal epithelial dysplasia and metaplasia are known as precancerous lesions of stomach cancer, which refers to the phenomenon where gastric mucosal cells are repeatedly damaged and regenerated, eventually leading to their replacement by mucosal cells from the small intestine or colon.

Recent research indicates that the prevalence of Intestinal epithelial dysplasia in Koreans is quite common, with rates of 11% in the 30s, 31% in the 40s, and up to 50% in the 70s. In addition, the risk of developing stomach cancer is reported to increase by nearly 11 times in cases with Intestinal epithelial dysplasia compared to those without it.

The research team observed that Pyrvinium inhibits the growth of the apoptosis of intestinal epithelial dysplasia/metaplasia organoids and even induces death by simultaneously blocking the MEK/ERK and STAT3 signaling pathways. Moreover, the same effect was observed in organoids from actual stomach cancer patients. These findings show the potential of Pyrvinium as a drug for the prevention of stomach cancer development.

Kim Hye-seong, first author and academic research professor at JNU, said, “Organoid technology, which is in the spotlight as an alternative to animal testing, has an endless range of marketability and application. Korea's technology in cultivating and utilizing organoids in the global market is already gaining attention on a global scale. The expansion of international joint research in organoid research is expected." adding, "The interest and importance of cancer prevention has recently been emphasized around the world. Therefore, securing organoids in the precancer stage has gained strong competitiveness. My personal goal is to discover another cancer prevention candidate using natural resources in Jeju.”

The study was published online in October in Gastroenterology (2023 Impact Factor: 29.4), the most prestigious journal in the field of digestive organs.