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Yong-Suk Choi

Korea University · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

About the Lab

Professor Yong-Suk Choi's research lab specializes in the development of innovative drug delivery systems and repurposed therapeutics for inflammatory, autoimmune, and oncological diseases. The lab focuses on designing biocompatible nanocarriers—such as thiolated glycol chitosan nanoparticles—for efficient systemic delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids like siRNA, while also exploring novel epigenetic modulators, including histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, for anti-inflammatory applications. A key research direction involves drug repurposing to accelerate the discovery of new treatments, particularly for antibiotic-resistant infections and chronic inflammatory conditions.

siRNA deliveryHDAC inhibitorsdrug repurposingnanoparticle systemsanti-inflammatory therapeutics

Research Overview

Papers
122
Total Citations
2,159
Papers (5y)
29
Primary Field
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Research Output Trend

Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.

Publications per year (5y)
29total
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Citations per year (5y)
124total
20222023202420252026

Selected Papers

15
1
Article|159 citations·2011
Tumor-homing photosensitizer-conjugated glycol chitosan nanoparticles for synchronous photodynamic imaging and therapy based on cellular on/off system
Sang Jin Lee, Heebeom Koo, Dong‐Eun Lee, Solki Min, Seulki Lee, Xiaohong Chen, Yongseok Choi, James F. Leary, Kinam Park, Seo Young Jeong, Ick Chan Kwon, Kwangmeyung Kim
SJR Q1Biomaterials
Biomedical EngineeringEngineering
2
Article|156 citations·2012
Tumor‐Homing Poly‐siRNA/Glycol Chitosan Self‐Cross‐Linked Nanoparticles for Systemic siRNA Delivery in Cancer Treatment
Sang Jin Lee, Myung Sook Huh, Seung Young Lee, Solki Min, Seulki Lee, Heebeom Koo, Jun‐Uk Chu, Kyung Eun Lee, Hyesung Jeon, Yongseok Choi, Kuiwon Choi, Youngro Byun
SJR Q1Angewandte Chemie International Edition

The condensed version: Thiolated glycol chitosan can form stable nanoparticles with polymerized siRNAs through charge-charge interactions and self-cross-linking (see scheme). This poly-siRNA/glycol chitosan nanoparticles (psi-TGC) provided sufficient in vivo stability for systemic delivery of siRNAs. Knockdown of tumor proteins by psi-TGC resulted in a reduction in tumor size and vascularization.

Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
3
Review|71 citations·2018
Recent Drug-Repurposing-Driven Advances in the Discovery of Novel Antibiotics
Ananda Kumar Konreddy, G. Usha Rani, Kyeong Lee, Yongseok Choi
SJR Q2Current Medicinal Chemistry

Drug repurposing is a safe and successful pathway to speed up the novel drug discovery and development processes compared with de novo drug discovery approaches. Drug repurposing uses FDA-approved drugs and drugs that failed in clinical trials, which have detailed information on potential toxicity, formulation, and pharmacology. Technical advancements in the informatics, genomics, and biological sciences account for the major success of drug repurposing in identifying secondary indications of ex

Molecular MedicineBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
4
Article|62 citations·2008
Histone deacetylase inhibitor KBH-A42 inhibits cytokine production in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells and in vivo endotoxemia model
Yongseok Choi, Song‐Kyu Park, Hwan Mook Kim, Jong Soon Kang, Yeo Dae Yoon, Sang‐Bae Han, Jeung Whan Han, Jee Sun Yang, Gyoonhee Han
SJR Q1Experimental & Molecular MedicineOA

In light of the anti-inflammatory properties of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, such as suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and trichostatin A (TSA), we examined a new HDAC inhibitor KBH-A42 for its anti-inflammatory activities. KBH-A42 showed noteworthy anti-inflammatory properties in vitro via suppression of the production of TNF-alpha, a proinflammatory cytokine, and nitric oxide (NO), a proinflammatory effector molecule, in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and peritoneal macrophages.

Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
5
Article|50 citations·2008
Histone deacetylase inhibitor KBH-A42 inhibits cytokine production in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells and in vivo endotoxemia model
최용석, 박성규, 김환묵, 강종순, Yeo Dae Yoon, 한상배, 한정환, 양지선, 한균희
http://kmbase.medric.or.kr/Main.aspx?d=KMBASE&m=VIEW&i=0620920080400050574

In light of the anti-inflammatory properties of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, such as suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and trichostatin A (TSA), we examined a new HDAC inhibitor KBH-A42 for its anti-inflammatory activities. KBH-A42 showed noteworthy anti-inflammatory properties in vitro via suppression of the production of TNF-α, a proinflammatory cytokine, and nitric oxide (NO), a proinflammatory effector molecule, in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and peritoneal macrophages. It a

6
Review|39 citations·2023
Perspective for Discovery of Small Molecule IL-6 Inhibitors through Study of Structure–Activity Relationships and Molecular Docking
Hossam Nada, Aneesh Sivaraman, Qili Lu, Kyoungho Min, Sung-Do Kim, Jail Goo, Yongseok Choi, Kyeong Lee
SJR Q1Journal of Medicinal ChemistryOA

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a proinflammatory cytokine that plays a key role in the pathogenesis and physiology of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as coronary heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and most recently COVID-19. IL-6 and its signaling pathway are promising targets in the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Although, anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibodies are currently being used in clinics, huge unmet medical needs remain because of

OncologyMedicine
7
Review|28 citations·2003
Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Conformationally Locked Nucleosides and Their Success in Probing the Critical Question of Conformational Preferences by Their Biological Targets
Yongseok Choi, Hyung Ryong Moon, Yuichi Yoshimura, Víctor E. Márquez
SJR Q3Nucleosides Nucleotides & Nucleic Acids

The present work describes some recent approaches to the syntheses of three classes of locked-North nucleosides: beta-D-ribo-, beta-D-deoxyribo-, and beta-D-dideoxyribonucleosides. The method developed for the latter class permitted access to a novel bicyclo[3.1.0]hexene-type nucleosides structurally similar to D4T and carbovir. A structural analysis and biological activities are discussed.

Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
8
Review|20 citations·2024
Natural products as IL‐6 inhibitors for inflammatory diseases: Synthetic and SAR perspective
Dipesh S. Harmalkar, Aneesh Sivaraman, Hossam Nada, Joohan Lee, Hyeseul Kang, Yongseok Choi, Kyeong Lee
SJR Q1Medicinal Research Reviews

Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a pleiotropic cytokine, plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of various diseases including diabetes, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, multiple myeloma, rheumatoid arthritis, and prostate cancer. The signaling pathways associated with IL-6 offer promising targets for therapeutic interventions in inflammatory diseases and IL-6-dependent tumors. Although certain anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibodies are currently employed clinically, their usage is hampered by drawbacks

OncologyMedicine
9
Article|20 citations·2012
Discovery of a novel series of benzimidazole derivatives as diacylglycerol acyltransferase inhibitors
Kyeong Lee, Ja-Il Goo, Hwa Young Jung, Minkyoung Kim, Shanthaveerappa K. Boovanahalli, Hye Ran Park, Mun-Ock Kim, Dong‐Hyun Kim, Hyun Sun Lee, Yongseok Choi
SJR Q2Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry LettersOA
BiochemistryBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
10
Article|17 citations·2002
Synthesis of a Conformationally Locked Version of Puromycin Amino Nucleoside
Yongseok Choi, C. George, Peter Strazewski, Víctor E. Márquez
SJR Q1Organic Letters

[reaction: see text] A conformationally locked carbocyclic version of puromycin amino nucleoside was synthesized via Mitsunobu coupling of a 3-azido-substituted carbocyclic moiety with 6-chloropurine without interference from the azido group reacting with triphenylphosphine. The requisite 3-azido-substituted carbocyclic pseudosugar was prepared by a double inversion of configuration at C3' (nucleoside numbering) involving a nucleophilic displacement with azide.

Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
11
Article|14 citations·2003
Conformationally Constrained Analogues of Diacylglycerol. 19. Synthesis and Protein Kinase C Binding Affinity of Diacylglycerol Lactones Bearing an N-Hydroxylamide Side Chain
Yongseok Choi, Ji-Hye Kang, Nancy E. Lewin, Peter M. Blumberg, Jeewoo Lee, Víctor E. Márquez
SJR Q1Journal of Medicinal ChemistryOA

The structures of N-hydroxylamides 1a and 1b, previously reported by Lee et al. in J. Med. Chem. 2001, 44, 4309-4312 as strong protein kinase C (PK-C) ligands, were incorrect and correspond instead to esters 2a and 2b, respectively. Here, we report the synthesis and complete characterization of 1a and 1b together with the associated biological activity in terms of PK-C binding affinity.

Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
12
Article|14 citations·2012
A facile synthetic route to diazepinone derivatives via ring closing metathesis and its application for human cytidine deaminase inhibitors
Minkyoung Kim, Kondaji Gajulapati, Chorong Kim, Hwa Young Jung, Jail Goo, Kyeong Lee, Navneet Kaur, Hyo Jin Kang, Sang J. Chung, Yongseok Choi
SJR Q1Chemical Communications

A variety of diazepinone derivatives were prepared from α-amino acids and amino alcohols by a new synthetic methodology based on ring closing metathesis as a key step. The diazepinones were coupled with ribose derivatives to afford novel diazepinone nucleosides. Among them, (4R)-1-ribosyl-4-methyl-3,4-dihydro-1H-1,3-diazepin-2(7H)-one (3) showed a potent inhibitory effect (K(i) = 145.97 ± 4.87 nM) against human cytidine deaminase.

Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
13
Article|13 citations·2012
Discovery of indolyl acrylamide derivatives as human diacylglycerol acyltransferase-2 selective inhibitors
Kyeong Lee, Minkyoung Kim, Boah Lee, Jail Goo, Jiyoung Kim, Ravi Naik, Jee Hee Seo, Mun Ock Kim, Youngjoo Byun, Gyu‐Yong Song, Hyun Sun Lee, Yongseok Choi
SJR Q2Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry

A series of indolyl acrylamide derivatives was synthesized as potential diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) inhibitors. Furfurylamine containing indolyl acrylamide derivative 5h exhibited the most potent DGAT inhibitory activity using microsomes prepared from rat liver. Further evaluation against human DGAT-1 and DGAT-2 identified indolyl acrylamide analogues as selective inhibitors against human DGAT-2. In addition, the most potent compound 5h inhibited triglyceride synthesis dose-dependently

BiochemistryBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
14
Article|8 citations·2003
Synthesis and Conformational Analysis of a Locked Analogue of Carbovir Built on a Bicyclo[3.1.0]-hex-2-enyl Template
Yongseok Choi, Guangyu Sun, Clifford George, Marc C. Nicklaus, James A. Kelley, Víctor E. Márquez
SJR Q3Nucleosides Nucleotides & Nucleic Acids

The synthesis and biological evaluation of a carbovir analogue (5) built on a bicyclo[3.1.0]hex-2-enyl template is described. A conformational analysis using density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G* level has been carried out on the rigid pseudosugar template of 5, the cyclopentene moiety of carbovir and the bicyclo[3.1.0]hex-2-yl pseudosugars of two isomeric carbonucleosides (12 and 13) containing exo- and endo-fused cyclopropane rings. The results show that while the planar configuration

Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
15
Article|8 citations·2020
Elucidation of Mechanism for Ligand Efficacy at Leukotriene B4 Receptor 2 (BLT2)
Minsup Kim, Jun-Dong Wei, Dipesh S. Harmalkar, Ja-Il Goo, Kyeong Lee, Yongseok Choi, Jae‐Hong Kim, Art E. Cho
SJR Q1ACS Medicinal Chemistry LettersOA

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have always been important drug targets in the pharmaceutical industry. One major question for the current GPCR drug discovery is how drugs have distinct efficacies at the same GPCR target. Related to this question, we studied how different ligands can have disparate efficacies at Leukotriene B<sub>4</sub> receptor (BLT2). By using molecular modeling studies, we predicted that Tyr271<sup>6.51</sup> located at TM6 of BLT2 performs as a key trigger for its activ

Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Research Areas

Molecular BiologyCancer ResearchOrganic ChemistryBiochemistryMaterials ChemistryOncology

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