Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Professor Yeu-Chun Kim's research lab specializes in the development of advanced nanomaterials and stimuli-responsive systems for targeted cancer therapy and controlled drug delivery. The lab focuses on designing smart nanocarriers—such as carbon-based nanostructures, mitochondria-targeting photosensitizers, and ionophore-functionalized polypeptides—that enable precise spatiotemporal control over drug release and therapeutic action. Key research directions include photodynamic therapy, thermally responsive ablation using metallic nanoparticles, and modulation of cellular ion homeostasis to induce cancer cell death. The lab also explores glucose-responsive systems for insulin delivery, highlighting its broad interest in responsive biomaterials for both oncology and metabolic disease applications.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
A noninvasive and selective therapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT) is widely researched in clinical fields; however, the lower efficiency of PDT can induce unexpected side effects. Mitochondria are extensively researched as target sites to maximize PDT effects because they play crucial roles in metabolism and can be used as cancer markers due to their high transmembrane potential. Here, a mitochondria targeting photodynamic therapeutic agent (MitDt) is developed. This photosensitizer is synthesized
Radiofrequency (RF)-assisted cancer therapy is well-known in the medical field as it is non-hazardous and can penetrate tissues, enabling a deeply rooted cancer treatment. However, the current treatment regimen is non-specific and invasive, making it difficult for patients to undergo the RF ablation procedure. Recently, there has been tremendous attention given on replacing RF probes (through which the RF current passes into the tumors) with metallic nanoparticles (NPs) such as gold and iron oxi
Synthesis, design, characterization, and application of carbon-based nanostructures (CBNSs) as drug carriers have attracted a great deal of interest over the past half of the century because of their promising chemical, thermal, physical, optical, mechanical, and electrical properties and their structural diversity. CBNSs are well-known in drug delivery applications due to their unique features such as easy cellular uptake, high drug loading ability, and thermal ablation. CBNSs, including carbon
Perturbation of potassium homeostasis can affect various cell functions and lead to the onset of programmed cell death. Although ionophores have been intensively used as an ion homeostasis disturber, the mechanisms of cell death are unclear and the bioapplicability is limited. In this study, helical polypeptide-based potassium ionophores are developed to induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated apoptosis. The polypeptide-based potassium ionophores disturb ion homeostasis and then induce
Glucose-responsive glycol chitosan/sodium alginate-poly(<sc>l</sc>-glutmate-<italic>co-N</italic>-3-<sc>l</sc>-glutamylphenylboronic acid) double-layered nanogel is a promising platform for controlled insulin release systems, achieving glucose-triggered insulin release at diabetic glucose levels <italic>in vivo</italic>.
Curcumin (CRC) has been widely used as a therapeutic agent for various drug delivery applications. In this work, we focused on the applicability of CRC as a nanodrug delivery agent for doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) (commercially known as Adriamycin) coated with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as an effective therapeutic strategy against multidrug-resistant cancer cells. The developed PEG-coated CRC/DOX nanoparticles (NPs) (PEG-CRC/DOX NPs) were well localized within the resistant cancer cells indu
Even though chemotherapy regimens for treating cancer by inducing apoptosis are extensively utilized, their therapeutic effect is hindered by multiple limitations. Thus, a combination of other types of anticancer modalities is urgently needed. Herein, a tannic acid (TA)-Fe<sup>3+</sup>-coated doxorubicin (DOX)-encapsulated 1,2-distearoyl-<i>sn</i>-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-<i>N</i>-[methoxy(poly(ethylene glycol))-2000] (ammonium salt) (DSPE-PEG) micelle (TFDD) for apoptosis/ferroptosis-media
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