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Hye-Lee Kim

Yonsei University · Medicine

About the Lab

Professor Hye-Lee Kim's research lab specializes in translational oncology, focusing on the tumor microenvironment, immune checkpoint biology, and molecularly targeted therapies in thoracic and head and neck cancers. The lab investigates immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoint expression (such as PD-L1, LAG-3, TIGIT), and oncogenic drivers (e.g., FGFR1 amplification, EGFR mutations) to identify predictive biomarkers and develop precision immunotherapeutic strategies. A key focus is on improving outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), particularly in East Asian never-smokers, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), with an emphasis on resistance mechanisms and novel targeted agents like third-generation EGFR inhibitors.

immune checkpointstumor microenvironmentprecision oncologyEGFR inhibitorsFGFR1 amplification

Research Overview

Papers
436
Total Citations
20,925
Papers (5y)
121
Primary Field
Medicine

Research Output Trend

Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.

Publications per year (5y)
121total
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Citations per year (5y)
3,645total
20212022202320242025

Selected Papers

15
1
Article|286 citations·2020
Genome-wide identification of differentially methylated promoters and enhancers associated with response to anti-PD-1 therapy in non-small cell lung cancer
Jae-Won Cho, Min Hee Hong, Sang‐Jun Ha, Young‐Joon Kim, Byoung Chul Cho, Insuk Lee, Hye Ryun Kim
SJR Q1Experimental & Molecular MedicineOA

Although approved programmed cell death protein (PD)-1 inhibitors show durable responses, clinical benefits to these agents are only seen in one-third of patients in most cancer types. Therefore, strategies for improving the response to PD-1 inhibitor for treating various cancers including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are urgently needed. Compared with genome and transcriptome, tumor DNA methylome in anti-PD-1 response was relatively unexplored. We compared the pre-treatment methylation st

Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
2
Article|260 citations·2016
PD-L1 expression on immune cells, but not on tumor cells, is a favorable prognostic factor for head and neck cancer patients
Hye Ryun Kim, Sang‐Jun Ha, Min Hee Hong, Su Jin Heo, Yoon Woo Koh, Eun Chang Choi, Eun‐Kyung Kim, Kyoung‐Ho Pyo, Inkyung Jung, Daekwan Seo, Jae Woo Choi, Byoung Chul Cho
SJR Q1Scientific ReportsOA

Abstract To investigate the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and immune checkpoints and their prognostic value for resected head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). PD-L1 expression on tumor cells (TC) and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (IC), abundance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and expression of the immune checkpoints were investigated in 402 HNSCC patients. PD-L1 expression on TC and IC was categorized into four groups according to the percentage of PD-L1-posi

OncologyMedicine
3
Article|169 citations·2012
Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1 Gene Amplification Is Associated With Poor Survival and Cigarette Smoking Dosage in Patients With Resected Squamous Cell Lung Cancer
Hye Ryun Kim, Dae Joon Kim, Dae Ryong Kang, Jin Gu Lee, Sun Min Lim, Chang Young Lee, Sun Young Rha, Mi Kyung Bae, Young Joo Lee, Se Hoon Kim, Sang‐Jun Ha, Ross A. Soo
SJR Q1Journal of Clinical OncologyOA

PURPOSE: To investigate the frequency and the prognostic role of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) amplification in patients with surgically resected squamous cell carcinoma of the lung (SCCL) and the association between smoking and FGFR1 amplification. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Gene copy number of FGFR1 was investigated in microarrayed tumors from 262 patients with SCCL who had tumor tissue as well as smoking and survival data available. Gene copy number was evaluated by fluorescent in si

Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
4
Article|149 citations·2011
Distinct clinical features and outcomes in never‐smokers with nonsmall cell lung cancer who harbor EGFR or KRAS mutations or ALK rearrangement
Hye Ryun Kim, Hyo Sup Shim, Jin‐Haeng Chung, Young Ju Lee, Yun Hong, Sun Young Rha, Se Hoon Kim, Sang‐Jun Ha, Se Kyu Kim, Kyung Soo Chung, Ross A. Soo, Joo Hang Kim
SJR Q1Cancer

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to determine the proportions of major oncogenic alterations and to examine survival in genotype-specific subsets of never-smokers with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: The authors concurrently analyzed mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and v-Ki-ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) genes and investigated anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements in samples from 229 never-smokers with NSCLC

Pulmonary and Respiratory MedicineMedicine
5
Article|126 citations·2019
YH25448, an Irreversible EGFR-TKI with Potent Intracranial Activity in EGFR Mutant Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Jiyeon Yun, Min Hee Hong, Seok‐Young Kim, Chae-Won Park, Soyoung Kim, Mi Ran Yun, Han Na Kang, Kyoung‐Ho Pyo, Sung Sook Lee, Jong Sung Koh, Ho‐Juhn Song, Dong Kyun Kim
SJR Q1Clinical Cancer ResearchOA

Abstract Purpose: Given that osimertinib is the only approved third-generation EGFR-TKI against EGFR activating and resistant T790M mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), additional mutant-selective inhibitors with a higher efficacy, especially for brain metastases, with favorable toxicity profile are still needed. In this study, we investigated the antitumor efficacy of YH25448, an oral, mutant-selective, irreversible third-generation EGFR-TKI in preclinical models. Experimental Design: An

Pulmonary and Respiratory MedicineMedicine
6
Article|124 citations·2013
The frequency and impact of ROS1 rearrangement on clinical outcomes in never smokers with lung adenocarcinoma
Hye Ryun Kim, Seungtaek Lim, H. J. Kim, Soohyun Hwang, J. K. Park, Eun‐Joo Shin, M. Bae, S.-H.I. Ou, J. Wang, Susan Jewell, Dae Ryong Kang, Ross A. Soo
SJR Q1Annals of OncologyOA
Pulmonary and Respiratory MedicineMedicine
7
Review|113 citations·2021
Clinical Insights Into Novel Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Jii Bum Lee, Sang‐Jun Ha, Hye Ryun Kim
SJR Q1Frontiers in PharmacologyOA

The success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), notably anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) as well as inhibitors of CTLA-4, programmed death 1 (PD-1), and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1), has revolutionized treatment options for solid tumors. However, the lack of response to treatment, in terms of de novo or acquired resistance, and immune related adverse events (IRAE) remain as hurdles. One mechanisms to overcome the limitations of ICIs is to target other immune che

OncologyMedicine
8
Article|113 citations·2009
Clinical features and treatment outcomes of advanced stage primary hepatic angiosarcoma
Hye Ryun Kim, Sun Young Rha, Seong Ha Cheon, Jieun Roh, Young Nyun Park, Nae Choon Yoo
SJR Q1Annals of OncologyOA
OncologyMedicine
9
Article|101 citations·2019
Comprehensive analysis of the characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with anti-PD-1 therapy in real-world practice
Beung‐Chul Ahn, Kyoung‐Ho Pyo, Chun-Feng Xin, Dongmin Jung, Hyo Sup Shim, Chang Young Lee, Sung Yong Park, Hong In Yoon, Min Hee Hong, Byoung Chul Cho, Hye Ryun Kim
SJR Q1Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical OncologyOA

PURPOSE: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have shown marked responses in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in clinical trials. However, because such trials comprise cohorts selected based on specific criteria, it is unclear if their results represent routine clinical practice. METHODS: We examined 155 patients with advanced NSCLC who were administered either nivolumab or pembrolizumab at Yonsei Cancer Center, Korea between March 2014 and January 2019. Patient characteristics, EG

OncologyMedicine
10
letter|100 citations·2018
The Ratio of Peripheral Regulatory T Cells to Lox-1+ Polymorphonuclear Myeloid-derived Suppressor Cells Predicts the Early Response to Anti–PD-1 Therapy in Patients with Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Hye Ryun Kim, Su-Myeong Park, Sang‐Uk Seo, Inkyung Jung, Hong In Yoon, Dmitry I. Gabrilovich, Byoung Chul Cho, Seung‐Yong Seong, Sang‐Jun Ha, Je-In Youn
SJR Q1American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care MedicineOA

title: The Ratio of Peripheral Regulatory T Cells to Lox-1+ Polymorphonuclear Myeloid-derived Suppressor Cells Predicts the Early Response to Anti-PD-1 Therapy in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, doi: 10.1164/rccm.201808-1502LE, category: Article

ImmunologyImmunology and Microbiology
11
Article|96 citations·2019
Tumor microenvironment dictates regulatory T cell phenotype: Upregulated immune checkpoints reinforce suppressive function
Hye Ryun Kim, Hyo Jin Park, Jimin Son, Jin Gu Lee, Kyung Young Chung, Nam Hoon Cho, Hyo Sup Shim, Seyeon Park, Gamin Kim, Hong In Yoon, Hyun Gyung Kim, Yong Woo Jung
SJR Q1Journal for ImmunoTherapy of CancerOA

We demonstrate that the TME confers a suppressive function on T<sub>reg</sub> cells by upregulating IC-molecule expression. Targeting IC-molecules, including PD-1, on T<sub>reg</sub> cells may be effective for cancer treatment.

OncologyMedicine
12
Review|96 citations·2021
Role and Function of O-GlcNAcylation in Cancer
Jii Bum Lee, Kyoung‐Ho Pyo, Hye Ryun Kim
SJR Q1CancersOA

Cancer cells are able to reprogram their glucose metabolism and retain energy via glycolysis even under aerobic conditions. They activate the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP), and the complex interplay of O-linked N-acetylglucosaminylation (O-GlcNAcylation) via deprivation of nutrients or increase in cellular stress results in the proliferation, progression, and metastasis of cancer cells. Notably, cancer is one of the emerging diseases associated with O-GlcNAcylation. In this review, we su

Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
13
Article|69 citations·1995
Platelet-derived growth factor induces apoptosis in growth-arrested murine fibroblasts.
Hye Ryun Kim, S. Upadhyay, Guang Li, Kenneth C. Palmer, Thomas F. Deuel
SJR Q1Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesOA

The platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a potent mitogen for murine fibroblasts. PDGF-stimulated cells express a set of immediate-early-response genes but require additional (progression) factors in serum to progress through the cell cycle. Serum-deprived cells are reversibly arrested in G0 phase and fail to fully traverse the G1 phase of the cell cycle when stimulated by PDGF alone. We now report that serum-deprived normal rat kidney fibroblast (NRK) cells stimulated by either PDGF AA or P

OncologyMedicine
14
Article|64 citations·2013
Pharmacogenetic determinants associated with sunitinib-induced toxicity and ethnic difference in Korean metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients
Hye Ryun Kim, Hyung Soon Park, Woo Sun Kwon, Ji Hyun Lee, Yusuke Tanigawara, Sun Min Lim, Hyo Song Kim, Sang Joon Shin, Joong Bae Ahn, Sun Young Rha
SJR Q1Cancer Chemotherapy and PharmacologyOA
Pulmonary and Respiratory MedicineMedicine
15
Article|61 citations·2016
Activation of the Met kinase confers acquired drug resistance in FGFR-targeted lung cancer therapy
S-M Kim, H. Kim, M R Yun, Hari Kang, K-H Pyo, H J Park, Ji Min Lee, Hojin Choi, Peter Ellinghaus, Matthias Ocker, Soonmyung Paik, Hye Ryun Kim
SJR Q1OncogenesisOA

Aberrant fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) activation/expression is a common feature in lung cancer (LC). In this study, we evaluated the antitumor activity of and the mechanisms underlying acquired resistance to two potent selective FGFR inhibitors, AZD4547 and BAY116387, in LC cell lines. The antitumor activity of AZD4547 and BAY1163877 was screened in 24 LC cell lines, including 5 with FGFR1 amplification. Two cell lines containing FGFR1 amplifications, H1581 and DMS114, were sensitive

Molecular BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Research Areas

Pulmonary and Respiratory MedicineOncologyMolecular BiologyFood ScienceOtorhinolaryngologyImmunology

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