Gaewon Nam
Yonsei University · Medicine
About the Lab
Professor Gaewon Nam's research lab specializes in dermatological and cosmetic biotechnology, focusing on skin health, keratin biology, and the development of advanced delivery systems for bioactive compounds. The lab investigates the molecular mechanisms of skin barrier function, keratinocyte differentiation, and inflammatory skin disorders, with an emphasis on natural triterpenoids, carotenoids like fucoxanthin, and their applications in dermatology. A key research direction involves designing innovative nanocarrier systems—such as solid lipid nanoparticles and siRNA-loaded micelles—to enhance the stability, bioavailability, and targeted delivery of therapeutic agents for conditions like atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and androgenetic alopecia.
Research Overview
Research Output Trend
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Selected Papers
15BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Age, gender, regional, and ethnic differences influence skin conditions. The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of environments, especially the air temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, duration of sunshine, and precipitation on skin, and the seasonal variation in skin hydration, sebum, scales, brightness, and elasticity in Korean females. METHODS: The study included 89 Korean subjects, aged 29.7 ± 6.2 years. The five skin biophysical parameters (skin hy
Poultry feathers consist mainly of the protein keratin, which is rich in β-pleated sheets and consequently resistant to proteolysis. Although many keratinases have been identified, the reasons for their substrate specificity towards β-keratin remain unclear due to difficulties in preparing a soluble feather keratin substrate for use in activity assays. In the present study, we overexpressed Gallus gallus chromosomes 2 and 27 β-keratin-encoding genes in Escherichia coli, purified denatured recomb
Our results indicate that CB1R agonists down-regulate mast cell activation and may be used for relieving inflammatory symptoms mediated by mast cell activation, such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and contact dermatitis.
Naturally occurring triterpenoids such as oleanolic acid (OA) and ursolic acid (UA) are known to have anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic activities in some types of cells. Although it has been reported that UA increases the amount of ceramide in keratinocytes, there is little study on the mechanism of triterpenoids involved in the differentiation of keratinocytes as well as their effects on epidermal permeability barrier. A study was therefore conducted to determine whether OA and UA could s
Fucoxanthin is a bioactive compound that is a kind of natural carotenoid. Fucoxanthin is known to protect against UV-B-induced cell damage in hairless mice, even though it is physiochemically unstable to heat and acid due to its polyunsaturated structure, indicating that fucoxanthin possesses a low bioavailability, and this disadvantage limits its application in the cosmetic industry. Solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) systems are known to be suitable as carriers for sunscreen agents. In this resear
Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of hair loss in men and women. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and androgen receptor (AR) levels are increased in patients with AGA, and DHT-AR signaling correlates strongly with AGA pathogenesis. In this study, treatment with self-assembled micelle inhibitory RNA (SAMiRNA) nanoparticle-type siRNA selectively suppressed AR expression in vitro. Clinical studies with application of SAMiRNA to the scalp and massaging to deliver it to the hair follicle c
BACKGROUND: Skin pH may be influenced by various factors, such as hydration of stratum corneum, rate of sebum excretion rate, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and sweating in relation to skin ageing. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between skin pH and wrinkle formation that is directly related to ageing. In addition, we investigated the factors related to skin ageing by comparing the association between skin pH and other skin properties. METHODS: Three hundred vo
BACKGROUND: There are ethnic differences in the skin characteristics, also the skin is susceptible to be influenced by the external environment such as UV radiation and the climates. It can be shown that the skin in same race or twins varies by the environment. OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to investigate the skin characteristics and the early wrinkles of young Chinese women from four different regions, and to identify the correlation among the wrinkles, the other skin characteristics, and
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: This study was conducted to define yellowish skin color, which is a major concern of Asian women, and to develop a 3D skin-pigment color model. METHODS: A total of 22 Korean females were enrolled in this study. These women were asked to use a functional cosmetic product with whitening agents for 8 weeks. We photographed the subsurface reflection of each subject's face using polarized light. The color of the subsurface reflection is a result of diffusive light transports that
BACKGROUND: The accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in aged skin and their pro-aging effects suggest the potential application of anti-glycation ingredients as skin anti-aging agents. AIMS: This study evaluated the anti-aging efficacy of a newly developed anti-glycation ingredient with antioxidant and autophagy-stimulating activities through in vitro, ex vivo, and clinical efficacy tests. METHODS: AGEs formation in both the cell-free BSA/glyoxal system and glucose/glyoxal-trea
Many studies on aging have focused on evaluating differences between older and younger people, but only a few have focused on differences in skin properties among subjects from the same age group according to their skin aging status. In this study, we evaluated the facial skin condition and life style factors in 110 Korean women aged 25 to 35 in an attempt to evaluate factors which may affect the skin aging status in the initial aging phase. The facial skin condition of 110 healthy Korean women
Despite the potential benefits of cannabidiol as a skin-soothing ingredient, its regulatory status hampers its general use in cosmetic products in many countries. To develop an alternative to cannabidiol, fatty acid amide molecules mimicking the chemical structure of endocannabinoids were manufactured using a lipase-catalyzed process. A mixture of fatty acid amides from sunflower oil and 1-amino propan-3-ol was synthesized using an immobilized lipase reaction, and the activation of cannabinoid r
하이드록시 산(hydroxy acid, HA)은 피부 각질층에 대한 박리효과로 노화방지와 피부 보습을 높이는데 효과를 보여, 피부 외용제와 화장품으로서 많은 활용을 하고 있다. 그 중에서 가장 효과적으로 빠른 시간 내에 나타나는 각질 박리는 화장품 제형 pH에 의해 효과를 보이는 것으로 많은 보고가 있다. 그러나 pH에 의한 자극, 부작용에 의한 염려로 인해 사용에 많은 어려움이 있다. 본 연구의 목적은 피부 각질층에 (1) 하이드록시 산의 농도와 (2) 종류, (3) pH를 변화시킨 화장품을 인체 피부에 도포하여 각질 박리 효과에 대한 영향을 측정하는 데에 있다. 건강한 성인 22명을 대상으로 하박 내측에 DHA (dihydroxyacetone), DC (dansyl chloride)로 피부 표면 각질을 염색하여, 시험제품을 도포한 뒤 각질박리 효과를 측정하였다. (1) GA (glycolic acid)의 농도에 따라 각질 박리 효과는 농도 의존적으로 증가하는 것으로 나타났다. (
Research Areas
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