Ewha Womans University · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Professor Hee-Sun Kim's research lab focuses on neuroinflammation, neurodegenerative diseases, and neuroprotection, with a particular emphasis on identifying and characterizing natural compounds that modulate microglial activation, oxidative stress, and cell death pathways such as necroptosis. The lab investigates the molecular mechanisms of ginsenosides, saponin metabolites, and other phytochemicals in astrocytes and microglial cells to develop potential therapeutic strategies for Parkinson’s disease, brain tumors, and other central nervous system disorders. Key research directions include the regulation of MMP-9, Nrf2-mediated antioxidant responses, and RIPK1 signaling in neuroinflammatory conditions.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Aberrant expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is implicated in the process of invasion and angiogenesis of malignant tumors as well as in inflammatory diseases of the CNS. Therefore, the development of compounds that can inhibit or suppress MMP-9 is required to treat brain tumors. We investigated the effects of a ginseng saponin metabolite, compound K (20-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-20(S)-protopanaxadiol), on MMP-9 expression in human astroglioma cells. Compound K significantly inhibit
Microglia are resident immune cells in the central nervous system. They play a role in normal brain development and neuronal recovery. However, overactivation of microglia causes neuronal death, which is associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, controlling microglial activation has been suggested as an important target for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect
Lonchocarpine is a phenylpropanoid compound isolated from <i>Abrus precatorius</i> that has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and antiepileptic activities. In the present study, we investigated the antioxidant effects of lonchocarpine in brain glial cells and analyzed its molecular mechanisms. We found that lonchocarpine suppressed reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cell death in hydrogen peroxide-treated primary astrocytes. In addition, lonchocarpine increased the
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