Kyung Hee University · Medicine
Professor Youngsook Son's research lab focuses on the therapeutic potential of Substance P (SP) and glial cell crosstalk in regenerative medicine, particularly in neurological and ocular disorders. The lab investigates neuroimmune interactions, including microglia-macrophage polarization and astrocyte-microglia communication, to modulate inflammation and promote tissue repair in conditions such as spinal cord injury, stroke, and retinal degeneration. A central theme is the role of endogenous signaling molecules like SP in enhancing angiogenesis, reducing chronic inflammation, and mobilizing stem cells to accelerate healing in diabetic and neurodegenerative environments. The lab also explores alternative cell sources, such as costal chondrocytes, for regenerative applications in cartilage repair.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Microglia are resident immune cells of the central nervous system that act as brain-specific macrophages and are also known to regulate the innate immune functions of astrocytes through secretory molecules. This communication plays an important role in brain functions and homeostasis as well as in neuropathologic disease. In this study, we aimed to elucidate whether astrocytes and microglia could crosstalk to induce microglial polarization and proliferation, which can be further regulated under
Diabetic ulceration is one of the most debilitating complications of diabetes and is the main cause of amputation. The diabetic environment is characterized by prolonged inflammation and abnormal angiogenesis, leading to delayed wound healing. Thus, regulation of inflammation and neovascularization is considered a desirable target for diabetes. The critical purpose of this study was to determine whether systemically administered Substance P (SP) could promote wound healing in diabetic environmen
Costal cartilage has been proposed as an alternative donor of chondrocytes for articular-cartilage repair. In the present study we compared the initial cell yield of chondrocytes from rabbit costal cartilage and their cell expansion rates in monolayer culture with those of articular cartilage. Costal cartilage gave an approx. 2.6-fold higher cell yield than did articular cartilage. During in vitro culture, CCs (costal chondrocytes) grew faster and displayed approx. 3-fold more cell expansion up
Previously, we have reported that substance P (SP) enhanced functional recovery from spinal cord injury (SCI) possibly by the anti-inflammatory modulation associated with the induction of M2-type macrophages at the injured lesion. In this study, we explored the cytokine expression profiles and apoptotic cell death in the lesion site of the SCI after an immediate intravenous injection of SP. SP injection increased the levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, and IL-10 at day 1 after the SCI approxim
Retinal degeneration is caused by neovascularization and persistent inflammation in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroid, and causes serious eye disease including age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Thus, inhibiting inflammation and neovascularization may be a primary approach to protect the retina from degeneration. The purpose of this study was to determine whether substance P (SP), which can suppress inflammation and mobilize stem cells, can protect the RPE from degeneration.
SP can protect the vascular endothelium against inflammation-induced damage through modulation of the Akt/eNOS/NO signaling pathway.
Open papers in the app to read, cite, and organize with AI.
