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Kyowon Lee

Sungkyunkwan University · Medicine

About the Lab

Professor Kyowon Lee's research lab focuses on regenerative medicine and transplant immunology, with a strong emphasis on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in tumor microenvironment modulation and acute kidney injury. The lab investigates the therapeutic potential of MSCs in ischemia-reperfusion injury, particularly in diabetic models, and explores innovative conditioning regimens to induce donor-specific tolerance in organ transplantation. Additionally, the lab examines the impact of donor characteristics—such as age and sex—on transplant outcomes, including graft survival and rejection risk. Their work bridges stem cell biology, critical care support (e.g., ECMO), and clinical transplantation to improve patient outcomes in renal and liver transplantation.

mesenchymal stem cellstransplant immunologyacute kidney injuryorgan transplantationregenerative medicine

Research Overview

Papers
301
Total Citations
2,853
Papers (5y)
75
Primary Field
Medicine

Research Output Trend

Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.

Publications per year (5y)
75total
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Citations per year (5y)
225total
20222023202420252026

Selected Papers

15
1
Article|91 citations·2004
Sustained release of vascular endothelial growth factor from calcium-induced alginate hydrogels reinforced by heparin and chitosan
Kyo Won Lee, Jongwoong Yoon, Ji‐Hyun Lee, S.Y. Kim, Hyuckchai Jung, Seung Ju Kim, Jae‐Won Joh, H.H. Lee, D.S. Lee, S.K. Lee
SJR Q3Transplantation Proceedings
BiomaterialsMaterials Science
2
Article|56 citations·2006
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection may lead to vertical transmission, expansion, and de novo occurrence of Y-chromosome microdeletions in male fetuses
Sook‐Hwan Lee, So-Yeon Ahn, Kyo Won Lee, KyuBum Kwack, Hye-Sun Jun, Kwang‐Yul Cha
SJR Q1Fertility and Sterility
GeneticsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
3
Article|50 citations·2015
miR-34a inhibits differentiation of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells by regulating cell cycle and senescence induction
Ho Park, Hyeon Park, Ha-Jin Pak, Dongyun Yang, Yun-Hong Kim, Wonjun Choi, Se-Jin Park, Jung-Ah Cho, Kyo Won Lee
SJR Q2Differentiation
Cancer ResearchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
4
Article|45 citations·2008
Hyperthermia‐treated mesenchymal stem cells exert antitumor effects on human carcinoma cell line
Jung Ah Cho, Ho Park, Hee Kyung Kim, Eun Hye Lim, Sang Won Seo, Joong Sub Choi, Kyo Won Lee
SJR Q1Cancer

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess the potential for differentiation into multilineages. MSCs have been reported to play a role as precursors for tumor stroma in providing a favorable environment for tumor progression. Hyperthermia destroys cancer cells by raising the temperature of tumor-loaded tissue to 40 degrees C to 43 degrees C and causes indirect sensitizing effects when combined with chemo- and/or radiotherapy. However, how hyperthermia affects the tumor-supportive stroma

GeneticsMedicine
5
Article|38 citations·2019
Inducing Transient Mixed Chimerism for Allograft Survival Without Maintenance Immunosuppression With Combined Kidney and Bone Marrow Transplantation: Protocol Optimization
Kyo Won Lee, Jae Berm Park, Hyojun Park, Yeongbeen Kwon, Ji Soo Lee, Kyeong Sik Kim, Young Jae Chung, Jin Soo Rhu, Sooin Choi, Ghee Young Kwon, Hee‐Jin Kim, Eun‐Suk Kang
SJR Q1Transplantation

BACKGROUND: Tolerance induction is an important goal in the field of organ transplantation. We have sequentially modified our conditioning regimen for induction of donor-specific tolerance in recipients of major histocompatibility complex-mismatched combined kidney and bone marrow transplantation (CKBMT). METHODS: From December 2011 to May 2017, 8 major histocompatibility complex-mismatched patients received CKBMT. The initial conditioning regimen (protocol 1) consisted of cyclophosphamide (CP),

OncologyMedicine
6
Article|35 citations·2017
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support for refractory septic shock in liver transplantation recipients
Kyo Won Lee, Chan Woo Cho, Nuri Lee, Gyu‐Seong Choi, Yang Hyun Cho, Jong Man Kim, Choon Hyuck David Kwon, Jae‐Won Joh
SJR Q2Annals of Surgical Treatment and ResearchOA

Our findings suggest that the implantation of ECMO might be considered in highly selected LT recipients with refractory septic shock.

Biomedical EngineeringEngineering
7
Article|29 citations·2011
Cell cycle regulators are critical for maintaining the differentiation potential and immaturity in adipogenesis of adipose-derived stem cells
Ho Park, Jung Ah Cho, Eun Hye Lim, Chang Woo Lee, Sang Hyuk Lee, Sang Won Seo, Dongyun Yang, Kyo Won Lee
SJR Q2Differentiation
OncologyMedicine
8
Article|25 citations·2018
Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in a Diabetic Monkey Model and Therapeutic Testing of Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Kyo Won Lee, Tae Min Kim, Kyeong Sik Kim, Seung Hwan Lee, Junhun Cho, Jae Berm Park, Ghee Young Kwon, Sung Joo Kim
SJR Q2Journal of Diabetes ResearchOA

Clinically, acute kidney injury (AKI) episodes in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients are associated with a cumulative risk of developing end-stage renal disease. In this study, we asked whether the severity of AKI induced by renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is more prominent in DM than in non-DM control using a cynomolgus monkey ( Macaca fascicularis) model . We also investigated whether human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) infused via the renal artery could ameliorate

GeneticsMedicine
9
Article|23 citations·2018
Higher Risk of Posttransplant Liver Graft Failure in Male Recipients of Female Donor Grafts Might Not Be Due to Anastomotic Size Disparity
Kyo Won Lee, Sangbin Han, Sanghoon Lee, Hyun‐Hwa Cha, Soohyun Ahn, Hyeon Seon Ahn, Justin Sangwook Ko, Mi Sook Gwak, Gaab Soo Kim, Jae‐Won Joh, Suk‐Koo Lee, Gyu‐Seong Choi
SJR Q1TransplantationOA

Donor sex appears to be an independent factor modulating graft failure risk in male liver transplant recipients.

SurgeryMedicine
10
Article|20 citations·2020
Dual kidney transplantation offers a safe and effective way to use kidneys from deceased donors older than 70 years
Kyo Won Lee, Jae Berm Park, So Ra, Seo Hee Lee, Young Jae Chung, Heejin Yoo, Kyunga Kim, Sung Joo Kim
SJR Q2BMC NephrologyOA

PURPOSE: Dual kidney transplantation (DKT) offers a way to extend the use of kidneys from expanded criteria donors (ECDs). Here, we compared the outcomes of DKT with those of single kidney transplantation from standard criteria donors (SCDs) and ECDs. METHODS: In 2014, we began performing DKT using both kidneys from deceased donors greater than 70 years of age with one of two risk factors: serum creatinine (sCr) level over 3.0 mg/dl or eGFR under 30 ml/min. By 2017, we had performed 15 DKTs. We

TransplantationMedicine
11
Article|19 citations·2022
Two-Week Protocol Biopsy in Renal Allograft: Feasibility, Safety, and Outcomes
Manuel Lim, Byung Kwan Park, Kyo Won Lee, Jae Berm Park, Kyeong Deok Kim, Jaehun Yang, Jieun Kwon, Eun Sung Jeong, Seung Hwan Lee
SJR Q1Journal of Clinical MedicineOA

Background: Protocol biopsy in renal allograft helps to early detect subclinical rejection (SCR) in patients who have no abnormal clinical and laboratory findings. Still, there are rare reports about the techniques and outcomes of two-week protocol biopsy. The aim of this study was to assess two-week protocol biopsy regarding the technical feasibility, procedure safety, and clinical outcomes. Methods: A total of 894 protocol biopsies were performed in adult recipients between 2012 and 2019. Two-

TransplantationMedicine
12
Article|19 citations·2020
Outcome Comparison between Low-Dose Rabbit Anti-Thymocyte Globulin and Basiliximab in Low-Risk Living Donor Kidney Transplantation
Sang Jin Kim, Jinsoo Rhu, Heejin Yoo, Kyunga Kim, Kyo Won Lee, Jae Berm Park
SJR Q1Journal of Clinical MedicineOA

The objective of this study was to compare outcomes between basiliximab and low-dose r-ATG in living donor kidney transplantation recipients with low immunological risk. Patients in the low-dose r-ATG group received 1.5 mg/kg of r-ATG for 3 days (total 4.5 mg/kg). Graft survival, patient survival, acute rejection, de novo donor specific antibody (DSA), estimated glomerular filtration rate (e-GFR) changes, and infection status were compared. Among 268 patients, 37 received r-ATG, and 231 received

TransplantationMedicine
13
Article|17 citations·2011
MicroRNA expression profiling in neurogenesis of adipose tissue-derived stem cells
Jung Ah Cho, Ho Park, Eun Hye Lim, Kyo Won Lee
SJR Q4Journal of Genetics
Cancer ResearchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
14
Article|16 citations·2004
The viability and function of cryopreserved hepatocyte spheroids with different cryopreservation solutions
Kyo Won Lee, Je Hoon Park, Joon Jin Yoon, Ji‐Hyun Lee, Seong-Tae Kim, Hyun‐Joo Jung, S.K. Lee, Sung Joon Kim, H.H. Lee, D.S. Lee, Jae‐Won Joh
SJR Q3Transplantation Proceedings
HepatologyMedicine
15
Article|15 citations·2020
Hepatitis B reactivation after kidney transplantation in hepatitis B surface antigen‐negative, core antibody‐positive recipients
Jihye Kim, Se Jin Chung, Dong Hyun Sinn, Kyo Won Lee, Jae Berm Park, Wooseong Huh, Jung Eun Lee, Hye Ryoun Jang, Wonseok Kang, Geum‐Youn Gwak, Yong‐Han Paik, Moon Seok Choi
SJR Q2Journal of Viral Hepatitis

Nowadays, intensive immunosuppressive therapy including rituximab is commonly used prior to kidney transplantation (KT), raising concerns over hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation among hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative and anti-hepatitis B core (HBc)-positive KT recipients. Recent practice guidelines suggested watchful monitoring or antiviral prophylaxis for the first 6-12 months, the period of maximal immunosuppression. However, the actual risk for HBV reactivation, and whether shor

EpidemiologyMedicine

Research Areas

TransplantationSurgeryPulmonary and Respiratory MedicineEpidemiologyPublic Health, Environmental and Occupational HealthHepatology

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