Kyung-Eun Lee
Ewha Womans University · 医学
研究室紹介
Professor Kyung-Eun Lee's research lab focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer progression, particularly in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), with a strong emphasis on the tumor microenvironment, hypoxia, and stromal cell heterogeneity. The lab investigates how hypoxia regulates cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), inflammatory signaling (e.g., IL1α), and tumor-stroma crosstalk to drive tumor initiation and therapy resistance. Additionally, the lab explores the impact of behavioral and psychological factors—such as smartphone dependency and anxiety—on health outcomes, especially in adolescent and young adult populations. These interdisciplinary efforts bridge cancer biology with behavioral health, aiming to identify novel therapeutic targets and public health interventions.
Research Overview
Research Output Trend
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Selected Papers
15UNLABELLED: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with an exceedingly low 5-year survival rate. PDAC tumors are characterized by an extensive desmoplastic stromal response and hypovascularity, suggesting that tumor hypoxia could regulate PDAC initiation and/or progression. Using a well-defined, autochthonous Kras(G12D)-driven murine model, as well as human tumors, we demonstrate that hypoxia and stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α
OBJECTIVE: South Korea has the highest rate of smartphone ownership worldwide, which is a potential concern given that smartphone dependency may have deleterious effects on health. We investigated the relationship between smartphone dependency and anxiety. METHODS: Participants included 1,236 smartphone-using students (725 men and 511 women) from six universities in Suwon, South Korea. Participants completed measures of smartphone use, smartphone dependency, anxiety, and general characteristics
This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women. We searched for qualified studies in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. The clinical characteristics of pregnant women with COVID-19 and their infants were reported as means and proportions with 95% confidence interval. Eleven studies involving with 9032 pregnant women with COVID-19 and 338 infants were included in the meta-analysis. Pregnant women with COVID-19 have relatively mild symptoms. Ho
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between anxiety proneness and aggressive behavior in adolescents. METHODS: A quantitative, large scale cross-sectional study was conducted in Korea. The survey questionnaire included general health behavior and scales for assessing anxiety (Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale; RCMAS) and aggressive behavior (The Aggression Questionnaire; AQ) in adolescents. RESULTS: A total of 2432 students participated in the survey
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by an extensive fibroinflammatory stroma and often experiences conditions of insufficient oxygen availability or hypoxia. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) are a predominant and heterogeneous population of stromal cells within the pancreatic tumor microenvironment. Here, we uncover a previously unrecognized role for hypoxia in driving an inflammatory phenotype in PDAC CAFs. We identify hypoxia as a strong inducer of tumor IL1ɑ expression
BACKGROUND: The β-catenin signaling is important in cell growth and differentiation and is frequently dysregulated in various cancers. The most well-known mechanism of endocrine resistance is cross-talk between the estrogen receptor (ER) and other growth factor signaling, such as phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. In the present study, we investigated whether β-catenin could be a potential target to overcome endocrine resistan
Drug delivery through mucosae has received huge research attention owing to its advantageous characteristics such as accurate dose control and the avoidance of premature metabolism of vulnerable drugs by oral administration. However, body fluid in mucosae may dissolve the drug, releasing it to unwanted directions. Here, a Janus drug delivery patch with monodirectional diffusion property is devised to deliver drugs efficiently and to overcome the issue of unwanted drug release. A polyester fabric
Despite documentation of successful therapy with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with lung cancer, the response rate of patients treated with this therapy remains low. The present study investigated whether L-ascorbic acid serves an adjuvant role <i>in vitro</i> when combined with the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor gefitinib (Iressa<sup>®</sup>) in lung cancer cell lines. A total of three human lung cancer cell lines were used. The antiproliferative