▸ The ultimate goal of the Institute is to develop new therapies for related diseases to ischemia and hypoxia by studying the cellular responses and regeneration mechanisms.
▸ The topics of the research are as follows.1) Mechanism of cell damage by ischemia and hypoxia
2) Mechanisms of adaptation to cells for ischemia and hypoxia
3) Development of drugs and gene therapy for ischemia and hypoxia
4) Development of cell therapy for ischemia and hypoxia
5) Development of hypoxic target therapies for angiogenic diseases
The Institute conducts 1) exchange of information on recent research trends about hypoxic reactions, 2) collection of research topics, areas of interest and research methods in each major, 3) evaluation of the research topics at the start of research, and 4) suggestion of opinions and partners to solve problems arising from the progression stage, 5) search for opinions and partners at the paper presentation stage, 6) support of research materials and promotion of joint research, and 7) development of internationally competitive cooperative projects. The conferences held by the Institute is one of the representative basic medical science meetings in the College of Medicine, which has been continued for many years. In addition to voluntary operations, the university's research institutes and conference support projects have been an important step in the development of research exchanges among the researchers in the Institute. Due to geographical limitations, it is not easy for researchers at Gwanak Campus to participate in regular meetings, but it is indispensable to promote and encourage convergence research with related researchers (e.g.: Kim Kyu-won, Professor of Pharmacy College).
▸ Needs
- Ischemia and hypoxia-related diseases are very common and are major fatal diseases. Cardiovascular diseases (heart and cerebral infarction, vascular obstruction of other organs, erectile dysfunction, etc.), hypoxic diseases (hyperacidosis, lung disease, anemia, etc.) and angiogenic diseases (malignant tumors, retinopathy, arthritis, etc.) are included in this disease group.
- Frequency of major diseases related to ischemia and hypoxia-related disorders
Cardiovascular disease, which is a direct cause of ischemia and hypoxic cell damage, accounts for 30% of all deaths. In addition, cancer and diabetes, which are caused by ischemia and hypoxic cell responses (including angiogenesis), account for approximately 30% deaths. Therefore, ischemia and hypoxia-related diseases are the leading cause of death. - Ischemia and hypoxia-related diseases are difficult to cure.
Ischemia and hypoxia cell damage develops very fast, and it can be permanent if blood and oxygen is not provided in an emergency. To prevent this, it is essential to find ways to quickly resume blood flow and delay cellular damage. Also, to rebuild the necrotic parts, cells with strong regenerative power must be transplanted. However, the above methods are only theoretical and have not yet been realized.
Other ischemic and hypoxic diseases are also difficult to treat. For example, in the case of cancer, there is ample rationale for suppressing the hypoxic response of cancer cells to increase the treatment efficiency. However, anti-cancer drugs that target hypoxia have not been developed yet.
▸ Needs of systematic research to develop treatment for ischemia and hypoxia
Cell survival is not possible without the supply of oxygen. However, minimizing cell damage and replenishing blood and oxygen could reduce mortality and sequelae caused by ischemia and hypoxia. To this end, it is necessary to understand the mechanism of cell necrosis caused by ischemia and hypoxia and the adaptation mechanism, and an attempt to apply this knowledge in clinical conditions is necessary. There is also a need for a regeneration technique that replaces necrotic sites with new cells, if they are already damaged beyond regeneration.The development of these new ischemic and hypoxic therapies requires a very wide range of research, from basic cellular and molecular biology to clinical research. The Institute aims to promote the development of new therapies for ischemia and hypoxia by sharing advanced knowledge and technology among researchers and inducing close collaboration through the meeting of basic and clinical medical researchers who study ischemia and preoxygen.
