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Kwang-Soo Kim, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry

McLean Hospital
Molecular Neurobiology Lab
115 Mill St
Belmont, MA 02478
Telephone: 617-855-2024
Fax: 617- 855-3479
Email: kskim@mclean.harvard.edu
Webpage: Kwang-Soo Kim Lab Page
Predocs: 1 Postdocs: 9 Completed PhD's: 3

Kwang-Soo Kim

Our laboratory is interested in developmental mechanisms of dopaminergic (DA) and noradrenergic neurons and their implications in brain diseases. In particular, we focus on key fate-determining transcription factors and their regulatory cascades using molecular, cellular, and transgenic approaches. These studies will not only advance our molecular understanding of subtype-specific neuronal gene expression and differentiation, but also translate to development of early diagnosis and/or novel therapeutic regimen of associated neurodegenerative disorders.

We have identified several key transcription factors that play critical roles for induction and maintenance of DA and noradrenergic neurons. These key factors provide molecular tools to develop cell-based assay systems, novel genetic animal models, and genotype/phenotype analyses for associated neuropsychiatric disorders. In addition, this molecular information can be directly applied to genetic engineering of embryonic and adult stem cells for directed differentiation to appropriate neural cell types. For instance, given that the hallmark pathological feature of Parkinson’s disease is the selective loss of A9 DA neurons in the substantia nigra, stem cells could be genetically engineered using these key factors for optimal production of A9 DA neurons. These potentially novel approaches are now being tested in several animal models of neurodegenerative diseases to analyze their neurobiological and behavioral effects using molecular, cellular, morphological, and behavioral (both neurological and cognitive) analyses.

 

References:

  • Chung, S., Shin, B.-S., Hedlund, E., Ferree, A., Kang, U.J., Iacson, O., and Kim, K.S. (2006) Neural precursors derived from embryonic stem cells, but not those from fetal ventral mesencephalon, maintain the potential to differentiate into dopaminergic neurons after expansion in vitro.  Stem Cells 24(6):1583-93.

  • Kim, C.H., Hahn, M., Joung, Y., Anderson, S., Steele, A.H., Mazei-Robinson, M.S., Gizer, I., Teicher, M.H., Cohen, B.M., Robertson, D., Waldman, I.D., Blakely, R.D., and Kim, K.S. (2006) A polymorphism in the human norepinephrine transporter gene alters promoter activity and is associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. P.N.A.S. 103, 19164-19169

  • Hedlund, E., Pruszak, J., Ferree, A., Viñuela, A., Hong, S., Isacson, O., and Kim, K.S. (2007)  Selection of embryonic stem cell derived eGFP+ dopamine neurons using the tyrosine hydroxylase promoter is confounded by reporter gene expression in immature cell populations. Stem Cells. 25(5):1126-35.

  • Cunningham, M., Donalds, R.A., Carlezon Jr., W. A., Hong, S., Kim, D.S., Kim, D.-W. and Kim, K.S. (2007). Antidepressant Effects of Stem Cell-Derived Monoaminergic Grafts. NeuroReport. 18(16):1663-1667.

  • Hong, S., Hwang, D.-Y., Yoon, S., Isacson, O., Ramezani, A., Hawley, R.G. and Kim, K.S. (2007) Functional analysis of different promoters in lentiviral vectors for transgene expression at different stages of in vitro differentiated mouse embryonic