Our body's immune system constantly faces the decision of whether to activate immune responses (immunity) or regulate (suppress) them (tolerance). When this finely tuned immune homeostasis is disrupted, various immune disorders arise. Particularly, immune hypersensitivity leads to allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis and asthma, as well as autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile diabetes. Therefore, in our laboratory, we investigate the mechanisms underlying the maintenance of immune homeostasis at the molecular and cellular immunological levels. Specifically, we conduct research to develop and elucidate the mechanisms of action of gut-targeted immunomodulatory agents that can control immune hypersensitivity reactions.

우리 몸의 면역 시스템은 매 순간마다, 면역반응을 활성화 (Immunity)시킬 건지, 또는 조절 (억제) (Tolerance) 할 지를 결정하게 된다. 매우 정교하게 유지되는 이러한 면역학적 항상성 (Immune Homeostasis)이 깨지게 될 때, 다양한 면역 질환이 생기게 된다. 특히 면역 과민 반응은 아토피 피부염이나 기관지 천식과 같은 알러지 질환과, 류마티스 관절염이나 소아당뇨병과 같은 자가면역 질환을 일으키게 된다. 따라서 본 연구실에서는, 이러한 면역학적 항상성 유지가 어떠한 기작에 일어나는지를 분자.세포 면역학적 관점에서 연구를 하고, 특히 면역 과민 반응을 제어할 수 있는 장 타겟 면역 조절 물질을 개발 및 작용 기작을 규명하는 연구를 수행하고 있다.

현재 진행중인 연구로는,
(1) 전자조절인자 (transcription factor)인 Ets에 의한 면역항상성 조절 기작 연구
(2) 면역 관용 기작에 관여하는 장관 면역계의 특성 규명 (수지상 세포 (Dendritic cell))
(3) 장관계 유래 수지상세포에 의한 면역조절T 세포 (Treg) 유도 기작 규명
(4) 항암 면역 증진유도, 자가면역 질환 및 알러지 질환을 개선할 수 있는 마이크로바이옴 치료제 개발
(5) 미생물 유래 면역 활성 물질 규명 및 작용 기작 연구를 통해 신약 후보 물질을 개발

1. Immune regulation and tolerance at the cellular and molecular level:
• ㆍRole of Etsl transcription factor in the biogenesis of Treg cells,
• ㆍMolecular and cellular mechanism of TFH and TFR cells generation in health and disease

2. Molecular mechanism of IL-10 gene regulation in CD4 T cells and B cells:
• ㆍCross-talk between cis- and trans- acting factors

3. Role of gut microbiota in the development of diverse immune disorders and elucidation of underling mechanism of action.
4. Molecular mechanism of Treg cell or effector T cells generation induced by rationally selected bacteria: Identification of effector molecules and elucidation of underlying mechanism of action

• ㆍExploring probiotic effector molecules and their mode of action in gut-immune interactions. FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 2023 Aug 4. fuad046, https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuad046
• ㆍResolving the Mutually Exclusive Immune Responses of Chitosan with Nanomechanics and Immunological Assays. Adv Healthc Mater 2022 Apr 9;e2102667. doi: 10.1002/adhm.202102667.
• ㆍStructural specificities of cell surface β-glucan polysaccharides determine commensal yeast-mediated immuno-modulatory activities. Nat Commun. 2021. June 14; 12(1):3611
• ㆍProbiotics-derived metabolite ameliorates skin allergy by promoting differentiation of FOXP3+ regulatory T cells. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2021. 147 (4), 1517-1521
• ㆍHarnessing the Bioresponsive Adhesion of Immuno-Bioglue for Enhanced Local Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy. Biomaterials. 2020: 263:120380
• ㆍOf Men in Mice: The Development and Application of a Humanized Gnotobiotic Mouse Model for Microbiome Therapeutics. Exp Mol Med. 2020. Sep;52(9):1383-1396. doi.org/10.1038/s12276-020-0473-2. (Invited review).
• ㆍIntestinal Microbiota Controls Acute Kidney Injury Severity by Immune Modulation. Kidney Int. 2020: S0085-2538(20)30553-6
• ㆍStructural features and immunological perception of the cell surface glycans of Lactobacillus plantarum: a novel rhamnose-rich polysaccharide and teichoic acids. Carbohydr Polym. 2020; 233:115857.
• ㆍBifidobacterium bifidum presents on the cell surface a complex mixture of glucans and galactans with different immunological properties. Carbohydr Polym. 2019 Aug 15. 218:269-278.
• ㆍEts1 suppresses T follicular helper type 2 cell differentiation to halt the onset of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Immunity. 2018, Dec; 49(6):1034-1048.
• ㆍInflammation-induced Id2 promotes plasticity in regulatory T cells. Nat Commun. 2018 Nov 9;9(1):4736
• ㆍCell surface polysaccharides of Bifidobacterium bifidum induce Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. Science Immunology. 2018 Oct 19;3(28). pii: eaat6975. doi: 10.1126/sciimmunol.aat6975.
• ㆍTargeted Inhibition of the NCOA1/STAT6 Protein-Protein Interaction. J Am Chem Soc, 2017 Nov 15; 39(45):16056-16059 1.
• ㆍTranscriptional repressor Capicua restrains follicular helper T cell differentiation and autoimmunity. Nature Commun. 2017, 16037 doi:10.1038/ncomms1603

• ㆍB.S., Korea Univ., Seoul, Korea (1987)
• ㆍM.S., Korea Univ., Seoul, Korea (1989)
• ㆍPh.D., Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel (2001)

• ㆍ1991-1996 : Senior Research Scientist, Research Center of Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Company, Seoul, Korea.
• ㆍ2001-2003 : Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School
• ㆍ2004-2008 : Assistant Professor, School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST)
• ㆍ2008-2012 : Associate Professor, School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST)
• ㆍ2012-2013 : Professor, School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST)
• ㆍ2014-Present : Professor, Division of Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, POSTECH
• ㆍ2014-2019 : Group leader & Acting director, Academy of microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Basic Science,
• ㆍ2019-Present : CEO and founder, ImmunoBiome Inc.

• ㆍCancer Research Institute Fellowship (USA, 2001-2004)
• ㆍYoung Investigator Award by the Society of Biomedical Research (USA, 2003)
• ㆍTop 100 Achievements of National R&D (Korean government, 2011)
• ㆍAcademic Research award (Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology Academic Award, 2019)
• ㆍKAI-Genexine Grand Achivement Awards (Korean Association of Immunologists Academic Award, 2020)

• ㆍDefining the role of transcription factors (Etsl and NFATl) in immune regulation
• ㆍDiscovery of the key cis- and trans-acting regulatory elements involved in IL-10 gene regulation
• ㆍRationally selected probiotics as an immune modulator for hyperimmune disorders (autoimmunity and allergic disorders) and cancer