Professor PARK Seung Bum
Professor Park Seung Bum (Department of Chemistry / Department of Biophysics and Chemical Biology) and researchers from Kyungpook National University have discovered a small molecule which suppresses neuroinflammation and induces brain damage recovery. Activated microglia have a central role in neuroinflammation and secrete various neurotoxic factors, so excessive microglial activation results in neuronal damage. In order to find therapeutic agents targeting microglial activation, the research team used cell-based phenotypic screening and discovered inflachromene (ICM), a microglial inhibitor with anti-inflammatory effects. The direct binding target of ICM is HMG (high mobility group) box proteins. When injected in laboratory rats, they recovered from brain damage and paralysis. Professor Park stated that “this research will contribute to finding a cure for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.”
- This research was published in the October 13th online edition of Nature Chemical Biology
- Professor PARK Seung Bum's Lab: http://hosting01.snu.ac.kr/~sbpark/
- SNU Department of Chemistry: http://chem.snu.ac.kr
- SNU Department of Biophysics and Chemical Biology: http://bpcb_eng.snu.ac.kr
Summary by LEE Hee Un, SNU English Editor, gurume0221@snu.ac.kr