Seoul National University · Medicine
Professor Won-Woo Lee's research lab focuses on immunometabolism and innate immunity, particularly the role of metabolic reprogramming and nutrient sensing in monocytes, macrophages, and T cells during chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases. The lab investigates how cytokines like IL-1β and amino acid transporters such as SLC7A5 regulate T helper 17 cell differentiation and pro-inflammatory responses through mTORC1 signaling. A central theme is the interplay between zinc homeostasis, T cell senescence, and metabolic dysregulation in aging and metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes. The lab also explores the pathogenic functions of monocyte subsets and senescent T cells in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic inflammation.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
In humans, interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) has been suggested as an essential cytokine for developing IL-17- or IL-17A-producing CD4(+) T helper 17 (Th17) cells. However, little is known about the relationship of IL-1 receptor expression and Th17 cell differentiation. We report here the presence of 2 distinct CD4(+) T-cell populations with and without expression of IL-1RI that correlates with the capacity to produce IL-17 in naive and memory CD4(+) T cells of human peripheral blood. IL-1RI(+) memor
Amino acids (AAs) are necessary nutrients which act not only as building blocks in protein synthesis but also in crucial anabolic cellular signaling pathways. It has been demonstrated that SLC7A5 is a critical transporter that mediates uptake of several essential amino acids in highly proliferative tumors and activated T cells. However, the dynamics and relevance of SLC7A5 activity in monocytes/macrophages is still poorly understood. We provide evidence that SLC7A5-mediated leucine influx contri
Zinc is an essential micronutrient with crucial roles in multiple facets of biological processes. Dysregulated zinc homeostasis impairs overall immune function and resultantly increases susceptibility to infection. Clinically, zinc supplementation is practiced for treatment of several infectious diseases, such as diarrhea and malaria. Recent focus on zinc as a beneficial element for immune system support has resulted in investigation of the immunomodulatory roles of zinc in a variety of immune c
Monocytes function as crucial innate effectors in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases, including autoimmunity, as well as in the inflammatory response against infectious pathogens. Human monocytes are heterogeneous and can be classified into three distinct subsets based on CD14 and CD16 expression. Although accumulating evidence suggests distinct functions of monocyte subsets in inflammatory conditions, their pathogenic roles in autoimmune diseases remain unclear. Thus, we investig
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by premature immune aging with accumulation of degenerate T cells deficient for CD28. Gene expression profiling of CD4(+)CD28(-) and CD4(+)CD28(+) T cells to discover disease-promoting activities of CD28(-) T cells identified expression of CD70 as a most striking difference. Hence, CD70 was significantly more expressed in CD4 T cells from RA patients compared with age-matched controls (p < 0.006). The underlying mechanism was a failure to repress CD70 e
Senescent T cells have been implicated in chronic inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we explored the relationship between senescent T cells and glycemic status in a cohort of 805 participants by investigating the frequency of CD57<sup>+</sup> or CD28<sup>null</sup> senescent T cells in peripheral blood. Participants with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) with follow-up data (<i>N</i> = 149) were included to determine whether hyperglycemia (prediabetes or type 2 diabetes) devel
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