Congratulations to — the research team at Seoul National University School of Dentistry has been selected for the 2025 Global Basic Research Laboratory (글로벌 기초연구실) Program, securing ₩1.5 billion in funding over three years.
The project, titled "Epigenetic Regulation of Musculoskeletal Aging by Pioneer Transcription Factors," aims to uncover the mechanisms behind age-related decline in muscle and bone regeneration, focusing on the epigenetic dysregulation of pioneer transcription factors such as ETS1. The team will leverage AI-driven multi-omics analysis to identify therapeutic targets that counteract regenerative decline.
The research integrates cutting-edge technologies including Hi-C, ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq, and Methyl-seq for structural epigenomics, scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq for single-cell profiling, and image-AI fusion screening — constructing a precision epigenomic atlas spanning muscle–bone multi-organ interactions.
Co-investigators include (AI-based epigenomic screening algorithms), Prof. Young-Dan Cho (SNU Dental Hospital, human tissue & IRB management), and Prof. Kyoung-Mi Woo (biomaterials & tissue engineering, aged animal model evaluation) — forming a one-stop research pipeline from data generation → AI analysis → animal & patient validation.
Prof. Kim stated: "By combining our collaborative experience with global institutions including Harvard Medical School and the infrastructure of SNU's Dental Multi-Omics Center, we aim to build a world-class epigenomic database for aging and regeneration — a foundation for next-generation therapeutic strategies against age-related musculoskeletal diseases."
Congratulations on the publication by — a landmark multi-omics study conducting RNA-seq analysis across 66 samples of gastric cancer metastasis.
scRNA-seq experiments were performed to identify gene sets illustrating characteristics of gastric cancer metastasis. The study demonstrates predictive power using both classical machine learning and deep learning techniques, validated through multiple publicly available datasets. Ultimately confirming the involvement of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) signals in cancer cell metastasis.
This publication, without extensive experimental validation, underscores the real-world impact of bioinformatics and NGS technologies in high-impact clinical research.
A collaborative study published in Trends in Biotechnology, by and Prof. Su Ryon Shin (Harvard Medical School), alongside an international team from Harvard, BWH, and multiple institutions.
The study presents an innovative bioengineering approach to volumetric muscle loss (VML) — a condition where large segments of skeletal muscle are irreversibly damaged. The team engineered large-scale hiPSC-derived muscle-like lattices integrated with vascular networks, enabling enhanced oxygen and nutrient delivery critical for thick tissue survival. This vessel-integrated architecture significantly improved muscle fiber maturation and regenerative outcomes in vivo, offering a promising platform for next-generation cell-based therapies for severe muscle injuries.
Published in ACS Nano, and Prof. Su Ryon Shin as co-corresponding authors, in collaboration with researchers from EMBRAPA, USP, and Harvard Medical School.
This study developed a dual-layer membrane hydrogel platform using hierarchical chitin nanocrystals fabricated via 3D printing, designed for dual drug delivery in periodontal tissue regeneration. The nano-structured architecture enables spatially controlled release of therapeutic agents, simultaneously targeting both soft tissue (gingival) and hard tissue (alveolar bone) regeneration. The platform demonstrated superior biocompatibility and regenerative efficacy, representing a significant advance in nanomaterial-based periodontal therapeutics.
Led by , in collaboration with Prof. Kyung Mi Woo and colleagues from SNU and University of Michigan.
This study reveals that lncRNA MALAT1 acts as a key mediator of fibrous topography-induced pathologic calcification — a common complication in cardiovascular implants and soft tissue engineering scaffolds. Fibrous surface architecture was shown to drive trans-differentiation of myoblasts into osteoblast-like cells, and MALAT1 was identified as the central regulatory lncRNA orchestrating this process. Knockdown of MALAT1 effectively suppressed aberrant calcification, highlighting it as a novel therapeutic target for preventing biomaterial-associated ectopic ossification.
Congratulations to Prof. Hyun-Mo Ryoo, , , and Ph.D. candidate .
This paper presents a novel algorithm for integrating epigenome peaks from multiple samples, overcoming key limitations in previous epigenome research and providing a reproducible tool for large-scale epigenomics. This marks the lab's first methodology publication — a foundational contribution for all future research.
Led by Prof. Yoon Young Choi (Soonchunhyang University) and . The study conducted Whole Exome Sequencing on 99 primary and matched metastatic gastric cancer tumors from 15 patients.
Results revealed that genomic changes differ according to metastatic routes, and genomic characteristics of metastatic tumors have a greater impact on patient prognosis than primary tumors. Reconstructed evolutionary relationships showed distinct patterns — "Branched" and "Diaspora" types — with the Diaspora type exhibiting high tumor heterogeneity, implying poor prognosis due to chemotherapy resistance.
Research led by and Prof. Hyun-Mo Ryoo as corresponding authors. The study discovered that NAM promotes osteoblast differentiation and boosts mitochondrial metabolism by enhancing antioxidant enzyme expression via SIRT3 activation and FOXO3A transcription.
NAM prevents both weak/chronic and strong/acute oxidative stress during osteoblast differentiation. These findings suggest NAM as a potential preventive or therapeutic approach for ROS-related bone disorders.