Liver – Yonsei Proteome Research Center (Coordinating Center)

Brief Description of Project:

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide and is the second major cause of cancer death in Korea. For diagnosis of HCC, serum biomarker for HCC is very demanding because there are currently no known biomarkers for this cancer.

For our strategy of biomarker discovery, we will employ two experimental approaches: First, using the protein profiling data that have been established between 1999 and 2004, we will re-evaluate the pre-selected 103 potential HCC-specific candidate gene products. This re-evaluation strategy verifies the relevance of those proteins to tissue specificity, secretion to serum and potential function in hepatocellular carcinoma. Second, once being selected for the next phase of studies, we will cross-check all the serum proteins to examine their presence in the sera of normal and HCC patients. This step requires whole map of plasma proteome which is now under construction at our center in collaboration with HUPO Plasma Proteome Project. During the period of this process, we will fish out the most probable candidate and test its applicability as biomarker using various known techniques. Transgenic or knock mice and RNAi treated cell lines will be used as major experimental systems.

To this end, our team consists of an oncologist, a pathologist, clinicians, proteomics specialists, informatics specialists, and a mass spectrometric specialist.

Team Members and Expertise:

Sang Yun CHO, Ph.D. (YPRC) [sangyun@yonsei.ac.kr]
Dr. Cho is a Research Assistance Professor and serves as proteome informatics specialist. He has been an active member of YPRC/BPRC and credited with establishment of YPRC-PDS and HCC RDB. He is now on a sabbatical leave and working with EBI where he is involved in PRIDE and the HUPO project database. On his return to YPRC in 2006, he will undertake development of the HCC database and informatics network for biomarker discovery.

Ki Baik HAHM, M.D., Ph.D. (Ajou University Medical Center) [hahmkb@hotmail.com]
Dr. Hahm is a professor of Medicine, Ajou University School of Medicine. He is also the Director of Genome Research Center for Gastroenterology funded from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. He received his M.D. at Yonsei University College of medicine at 1983 and a Ph.D. in gastroenterology from same university. He subspecialized in Gastroenterology in 1991. Therefore, he is expert in translational research and GI endosocpy field and also engaged in basic science. His clinical interest is in carcinogenesis of both stomach and liver and his research focuses on the development of biomarkers as progressive and prognostic factors in these cancers and the revealing of cell damages and repair.

Chang-Min KIM, M.D. (National Cancer Center) [cmkim53@ncc.re.kr]
Dr. Kim is a Senior Investigator and Chief of Hepatobiliary-pancreatic Cancer Branch at National Cancer Center, Korea. He is also Director of National Cancer Control Planning Board. He is hepatologist who see the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. He is interested in the development of biomarkers for hepatocellulr carcinoma. He will give clinical advice to the team.

Hogeun KIM, M.D, Ph.D. (Yonsei University College of Medicine) [hkyonsei@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr]
Dr. Kim is a Professor and chairman of Pathology at the Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul. Dr. Kim received his M.D. from the Yonsei University in Seoul. He pursued his residency training at the Department of Pathology at Yonsei University and a post-doctoral fellowship at the Department of Pathology at Johns Hopkins University. His research is focused on the molecular genetic and genomic changes in cancers of gastrointestinal tract and hepatobillary system. He is currently serving on the Board of Korean Cancer Association and Korean Pathology Society. He is the author of more than100 scientific papers published in peer-reviewed journals. His current research focuses on biomarkers as prognostic and/or predictive factors in colon and liver cancers and molecular tumor classification.

Ho Jeong KWON, Ph.D. (YPRC, Yonsei University) [kwonhj@yonsei.ac.kr]
Dr. Kwon is a Member of the YPRC and Assocoate Professor of the Department of Biotechnology at Yonsei University. His research interests are: chemical genomics/proteomics; target identification and validation of bioactive small molecules using proteomics and genomics, and application of protein-array to chemical genomics; and systematic study of biology using bioactive small molecules. He is a director of Chemical Genomics National Research Laboratory (NRL), Korea, an editor of Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, a guest editor of Current Medicinal Chemistry, and secretary general of KHUPO. He will also take charge as secretary general of the 2007 HUPO Congress in Seoul, Korea.

Young-Ki PAIK, Ph.D. (Yonsei Proteome Research Center, Yonsei University—Biomarker team PI) [paikyk@yonsei.ac.kr]
Dr. Paik is a Professor of Department of Biochemistry and Director of YPRC/BPRC and has been actively engaged in the proteomics field by serving as a director of the Korean Human Plasma Proteome Project, a Senior Editor for PROTEOMICS, Editorial Board Member for MCP and Clinical Proteomics, and Secretary General of HUPO and AOHUPO. His research interests are discovery of biomarker for HCC and regulatory molecules for aging (in animal model). He has established YPRC/BPRC as a flagship center in the nation and has carried out major roles in education, training, and technical services in the field of proteomics throughout the country since 1999.

Jong Shin YOO, Ph.D. (Korea Basic Science Institute) [jongshin@kbsi.re.kr]
Dr. Yoo is a Senior Staff Scientist who has been a leader in mass spectrometry in Korea. He is also president of the Korean Mass Spectrometry Society and active member of Korean Human Proteome Project. His primary research interests are developing MS-methods and tools for PTM analyses. He also serves as Co-PI in the project of development of FT-MS in collaboration with the international team in the US.