Skip to main content

Woo-Seok Lim

Yonsei University · Medicine

About the Lab

Professor Woo-Seok Lim's research lab focuses on regenerative medicine and neurodegenerative disease therapeutics, with a primary emphasis on Huntington’s disease (HD). The lab investigates cell-based and cell-free therapies using adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) and their secreted factors—particularly exosomes and conditioned extracts—to modulate disease pathology and improve neurological function. Key research directions include understanding the paracrine mechanisms of ASCs, evaluating natural compounds like β-lapachone, and exploring the therapeutic potential of young blood-derived exosomes in HD models. The lab integrates preclinical disease modeling, molecular analysis, and behavioral assessments to develop novel, translation-ready treatments for incurable neurodegenerative disorders.

Huntington’s diseaseadipose-derived stem cellsexosomesparacrine therapyneurodegenerative disease

Research Overview

Papers
69
Total Citations
2,592
Papers (5y)
12
Primary Field
Medicine

Research Output Trend

Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.

Publications per year (5y)
12total
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Citations per year (5y)
44total
20222023202420252026

Selected Papers

15
1
Article|295 citations·2010
Altered microRNA regulation in Huntington's disease models
Soon‐Tae Lee, Kon Chu, Wooseok Im, Hyejin Yoon, Jiyeon Im, Jung-Eun Park, Ki Ho Park, Keun‐Hwa Jung, Sang Kun Lee, Manho Kim, Jae‐Kyu Roh
SJR Q1Experimental Neurology
Cellular and Molecular NeuroscienceNeuroscience
2
Article|202 citations·2008
Decreased number and function of endothelial progenitor cells in patients with migraine
Sukkyung Lee, Kon Chu, Keun‐Hwa Jung, Dong Hoe Kim, E. H. Kim, Vitnary Choe, Jin Hae Kim, Wooseok Im, Lina Kang, J. E. Park, Ho Jin Park, Hee-Kwon Park
SJR Q1Neurology

<b>Objective: </b> Migraine carries an increased risk for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases that cannot be explained by traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The circulating endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) number is a surrogate biologic marker of vascular function, and diminished EPC counts are associated with higher cardiovascular risk. We investigated whether abnormalities in EPC levels and functions are present in migraine patients. <b>Methods: </b> Consecutive headache patient

Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
3
Article|162 citations·2016
Altered Expression of the Long Noncoding RNA NEAT1 in Huntington’s Disease
Jun‐Sang Sunwoo, Soon‐Tae Lee, Wooseok Im, Mijung Lee, Jung‐Ick Byun, Keun‐Hwa Jung, Kyung‐Il Park, Ki‐Young Jung, Sang Kun Lee, Kon Chu, Manho Kim
SJR Q1Molecular Neurobiology
Cancer ResearchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
4
Article|150 citations·2016
Adipose-derived stem cell exosomes alleviate pathology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in vitro
Mijung Lee, Jae-Jun Ban, Ki-Yoon Kim, Gye Sun Jeon, Wooseok Im, Jung‐Joon Sung, Manho Kim
SJR Q2Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
NeurologyMedicine
5
Article|141 citations·2016
Exosomes from adipose‐derived stem cells ameliorate phenotype of Huntington's disease in vitro model
Mijung Lee, Tian Liu, Wooseok Im, Manho Kim
SJR Q2European Journal of Neuroscience

Huntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder caused by the aggregation of mutant Huntingtin (mHtt). Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) have a potential for use in the treatment of incurable disorders, including HD. ASCs secrete various neurotrophic factors and microvesicles, and modulate hostile microenvironments affected by disease through paracrine mechanisms. Exosomes are small vesicles that transport nucleic acid and protein between cells. Here, we investigated the the

Cellular and Molecular NeuroscienceNeuroscience
6
Article|139 citations·2018
The exosome of adipose-derived stem cells reduces β-amyloid pathology and apoptosis of neuronal cells derived from the transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
Mijung Lee, Jae-Jun Ban, Seungwon Yang, Wooseok Im, Manho Kim
SJR Q2Brain Research
Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
7
Article|137 citations·2016
Influence of storage condition on exosome recovery
Mijung Lee, Jae-Jun Ban, Wooseok Im, Manho Kim
SJR Q2Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering
Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
8
Article|64 citations·2017
Wound healing potential of adipose tissue stem cell extract
You Kyung Na, Jae-Jun Ban, Mijung Lee, Wooseok Im, Manho Kim
SJR Q2Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
RehabilitationMedicine
9
Article|45 citations·2013
Extracts of Adipose Derived Stem Cells Slows Progression in the R6/2 Model of Huntington's Disease
Wooseok Im, Jae‐Jun Ban, Jiyeon Lim, Mijung Lee, Soon‐Tae Lee, Kon Chu, Manho Kim
SJR Q1PLoS ONEOA

Stem cell therapy is a promising treatment for incurable disorders including Huntington's disease (HD). Adipose-derived stem cell (ASC) is an easily available source of stem cells. Since ASCs can be differentiated into nervous stem cells, it has clinically feasible potential for neurodegenerative disease. In addition, ASCs secrete various anti-apoptotic growth factors, which improve the symptoms of disease from transplanted ASCs. Thus, cell-free extracts of ASCs (ASCs-E) could be a potential can

Cellular and Molecular NeuroscienceNeuroscience
10
Article|41 citations·2018
Amelioration of Huntington's disease phenotypes by Beta-Lapachone is associated with increases in Sirt1 expression, CREB phosphorylation and PGC-1α deacetylation
Mijung Lee, Jae-Jun Ban, Jin Young Chung, Wooseok Im, Manho Kim
SJR Q1PLoS ONEOA

Huntington's disease (HD) is one of the most devastating genetic neurodegenerative disorders with no effective medical therapy. β-Lapachone (βL) is a natural compound obtained from the bark of the Lapacho tree and has been reported to have beneficial effects on various diseases. Sirt1 is a deacetylase of the sirtuin family and deacetylates proteins including the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α) which is associated with mitochondrial respiration and bi

Cellular and Molecular NeuroscienceNeuroscience
11
Article|38 citations·2021
Exosomes as a potential messenger unit during heterochronic parabiosis for amelioration of Huntington's disease
Mijung Lee, Wooseok Im, Manho Kim
SJR Q1Neurobiology of DiseaseOA

We found that the overall pathology of HD could be improved by the shared blood circulation through heterochronic parabiosis, furthermore, we demonstrated that the exosomes could be messengers for transferring positive factors, showing the potential of exosomes from young blood for the amelioration of HD.

Cellular and Molecular NeuroscienceNeuroscience
12
Article|35 citations·2010
Transplantation of patient-derived adipose stem cells in YAC128 Huntington's disease transgenic mice
Wooseok Im, Soon‐Tae Lee, Jeong Eun Park, Hyun Jung Oh, Jiyoung Shim, Jiyeon Lim, Kon Chu, Manho Kim
PLoS CurrentsOA

Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder caused by abnormal expansion of CAG in the huntingtin gene. In R6/2 HD transgenic mice, human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) can slow disease progression via secretion of multiple paracrine growth factors. In order to prompt autologous ASCs transplantation in HD, we isolated ASCs from subcutaneous adipose tissues from a HD patient and a normal volunteer. ASCs were grown in two different types of stem cell culture media, EGM-2MV

Cellular and Molecular NeuroscienceNeuroscience
13
Article|34 citations·2017
MicroRNA-27a reduces mutant hutingtin aggregation in an in vitro model of Huntington's disease
Jae-Jun Ban, Jin Young Chung, Mijung Lee, Wooseok Im, Manho Kim
SJR Q2Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
14
Article|28 citations·2012
Sun Ginseng Protects Endothelial Progenitor Cells From Senescence Associated Apoptosis
Wooseok Im, Jin Young Chung, Jae-Jun Bhan, Jiyeon Lim, Soon‐Tae Lee, Kon Chu, Manho Kim
SJR Q1Journal of Ginseng ResearchOA
Cancer ResearchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
15
Review|24 citations·2016
Applications of CRISPR/Cas9 for Gene Editing in Hereditary Movement Disorders
Wooseok Im, Jangsup Moon, Manho Kim
SJR Q2Journal of Movement DisordersOA

Gene therapy is a potential therapeutic strategy for treating hereditary movement disorders, including hereditary ataxia, dystonia, Huntington's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Genome editing is a type of genetic engineering in which DNA is inserted, deleted or replaced in the genome using modified nucleases. Recently, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/CRISPR associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) has been used as an essential tool in biotechnology. Cas9 is an RNA-guided DNA

Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Research Areas

Cellular and Molecular NeuroscienceMolecular BiologyGeneticsSurgeryNeurologyComplementary and alternative medicine

Dive deeper into Woo-Seok Lim's research on Nubint

Open this lab's papers in the app to read with AI, summarize, and cite in your writing.