Ewha Womans University · Medicine
Professor So-Youn Woo's research lab focuses on the immunomodulatory and regenerative potential of mesenchymal stem cells, particularly tonsil-derived MSCs (T-MSCs), in treating autoimmune and degenerative diseases. The lab investigates the mechanisms by which T-MSCs regulate immune responses—especially Th17 cell activity and dendritic cell function—and their roles in bone metabolism, osteoporosis, muscle atrophy, and cancer therapy. A key focus is on the therapeutic potential of T-MSC-derived extracellular vesicles, such as exosomes, in mitigating chemotherapy-induced tissue damage and promoting tissue repair. The lab also explores the role of immune-modulating molecules like PD-L1 in MSC-mediated immunosuppression and tissue homeostasis.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Our knowledge of the immunomodulatory role of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in both the innate and adaptive immune systems has dramatically expanded, providing great promise for treating various autoimmune diseases. However, the contribution of MSCs to Th17-dominant immune disease, such as psoriasis and its underlying mechanism remains elusive. In this study, we demonstrated that human palatine tonsil-derived MSCs (T-MSCs) constitutively express both the membrane-bound and soluble forms of progr
Th17 cells play a critical role in several autoimmune diseases, including psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease associated with systemic inflammation and comorbidities, such as PsA. PsA develops in nearly 70% of patients with psoriasis, and osteoclasts associated bone erosion is a hallmark of the disease. Thus far, the effect of Th17 cells on osteoclastogenesis <i>via</i> direct cell-to-cell interactions is less understood. In this study, we ob
Osteoporosis is a disease that affects 35% women and 20% men aged more than 65 years. Reduction in bone formation and increased bone resorption are known factors that drive osteoporosis, but recent studies suggest a positive correlation between bone marrow adipose tissue (MAT) and osteoporosis. Previously, we have observed that tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells (T-MSCs) reduce MAT in a mouse model of bone marrow depletion. That prompted us to investigate on the senile osteoporosis to charact
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered valuable sources for cell therapy because of their immune regulatory function. Here, we investigated the effects of tonsil-derived MSCs (T-MSCs) on the differentiation, maturation, and function of dendritic cells (DCs). We examined the effect of T-MSCs on differentiation and maturation of bone-marrow- (BM-) derived monocytes into DCs and we found suppressive effect of T-MSCs on DCs via direct contact as well as soluble mediators. Moreover, T cell prol
Skeletal muscle mass is decreased under a wide range of pathologic conditions. In particular, chemotherapy is well known for inducing muscle loss and atrophy. Previous studies using tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells (T-MSCs) or a T-MSC-conditioned medium showed effective recovery of total body weight in the chemotherapy-preconditioned bone marrow transplantation mouse model. This study investigated whether extracellular vesicles of T-MSCs, such as exosomes, are a key player in the recovery o
Neuroblastoma, characterized by heterogeneous cell population, is a common solid tumor in childhood and some malignant neuroblastomas are refractory to conventional chemotherapy. Recently, treatment with arsenic trioxide (As2O3) was found effective in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia as well as neuroblastoma cells by inducing apoptosis. To define the mechanism contributing to cell death in those heterogenous cell populations, the authors used two different types of neuroblastoma cel
Natural killer T (NKT) cells are involved in innate immune defence and also in the regulation of adaptive immune responses. However, the development of NKT cells in vitro has not been fully characterized and culture conditions have not been fully optimized. In the present study, we found that an NKT cell fraction developed during the in vitro culture of cord blood (CB) CD34+ cells, and this was subsequently characterized both phenotypically and morphologically. CD34+ cells purified from 10 human
Psoriasis is a phenotypically heterogeneous, immune-mediated skin condition, often relapsing and remitting in nature.1 Aside from yielding structural support, keratinocytes are a ready source of various cytokines, exerting local cutaneous influence and systemic effects.2 Although pivotal in both initiating and maintaining the inflammatory response in psoriasis, keratinocytes have not been widely studied in terms of immune-regulatory functions. Recent evidence, however, indicates that a costimula
Angiostatin is derived from enzymatic degradation of plasminogen and it has endogenous anti-angiogenic properties. Although tumor cells, macrophages, platelets, and neutrophils generate high amount of angiostatin, its expression is increased in inflammatory conditions. Moreover, angiostatin binds to integrin v 3 , ATP synthase, and angiomotin, which expressed on neutrophils. Activated neutrophils are essential to innate immune response, but also cause tissue damage through production of reactive
Abstract Liver transplantation is the treatment of choice for chronic liver failure due to fibrosis, however, it faces several difficulties, including donor shortage, surgery-related complications, immunological rejection, and high medical cost. Cell transplantation therapy would be the minimally invasive and alternative methods, potentially with fewer complications. As cell source, we isolated mesenchymal stromal cells from human palatine tonsils (T-MSCs) and injected into CCl4-induced liver in
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