Our lab is interested in the fundamental aspects of Mycobacterial microbiology and immunopathogenesis. We aim to understand the biology of Mycobacteria by examining how these pathogens adapt to the microenvironment during interactions with the host, leading to disease progression. Additionally, we investigate how the host immune system responds to these pathogens.

Kee Woong Kwon, Ph.D. (권기웅)
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University

Education
2006-2013 B.S. Yonsei University
2013-2018 Ph.D. (Infectious & Immune Biology) Yonsei University College of Medicine

Career
2018-2022 Post-doctoral Fellow, Brain Korea 21 Plus, Yonsei University College of Medicine
2022-2023 Assistant research professor, Brain Korea 21 FOUR, Yonsei University College of Medicine
2023-current Assistant professor, Gyeongsang National University

Project 1. Modulating bone marrow cells for infectious lung disease

The only licensed vaccine for tuberculosis, BCG, not only prevents tuberculosis but also demonstrates protective efficacy against a wide range of infectious diseases. This efficacy of BCG is attributed to the activated memory response of innate immune cells, defined as trained immunity. Despite being an innate immune response, this memory response is sustained and inherited through immunological, epigenetic, and metabolic reprogramming of hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. Although South Korea mandates BCG vaccination, it still has the highest tuberculosis incidence rate among the 38 OECD member countries. Therefore, focusing on this aspect, we aim to identify factors contributing to the differences in BCG protective efficacy across hosts by examining the immunological and metabolic activation mechanisms of innate immune cells using various infection susceptibility/resistance animal models. Through this, we intend to elucidate and regulate the differentiation mechanisms of hematopoietic stem cells, the origin of innate immune cell generation, and induce the generation of trained innate immune cells to contribute to host-directed therapy.

Project 2. Animal models for translational research

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are a group of Mycobacterium species excluding the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and Mycobacteriumleprae. Pulmonary diseases caused by NTM account for more than 90% of NTM infections. Since NTM are widely present in natural environments, it is impossible to prevent the source of infection itself. Unlike tuberculosis, NTM pulmonary disease was relatively unknown until the 2000s. However, there has been a sharp increase in its incidence worldwide in recent years, with a significant rise in South Korea over the past decade, surpassing tuberculosis incidence rates by 2022. The treatment duration for NTM pulmonary disease averages 16 months, which is quite lengthy. Moreover, the disease has low treatment success rates, high recurrence rates, and prolonged morbidity, making it a significant current and future infectious disease problem, particularly in aging societies globally, thus increasing the social burden. Despite the severity of the situation, research on NTM pulmonary disease remains limited to epidemiological reports, and the lack of animal models for studying its pathogenesis is a critical issue. Therefore, our laboratory previously established a mouse model for therapeutic vaccines aimed at controlling NTM pulmonary disease and aims to continuously establish suitable animal models that can represent clinical situations effectively to control NTM pulmonary disease more efficiently.

Project 3. Drug discovery for treating Mycobacteria based on radiation technology

Our goal is to discover new drug candidates based on structural modification using radiation technology to overcome the technical limitations of existing approaches in addressing intractable infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and non-tuberculous lung diseases.

최근 5년, 2020~현재

1. Choi E, Choi H-H, Kwon KW, Kim H, Ryu J-H, Hong JJ, Shin SJ.
Permissive lung neutrophils facilitate tuberculosis immunopathogenesis in male phagocyte NADPH oxidase-deficient mice.
PLoS Pathogens 2024 Aug 23;20(8):e1012500

2. Kwon KW*, Choi H-G, Choi H-H, Choi E, Kim H, Kim H-J, Shin SJ.
Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of RipA, a peptidoglycan hydrolase, against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing outbreak strains.
Vaccine 2024 Mar 19;42(8):1941-1952 (*co-first author)

3. Kim H, Song E-J, Choi E, Kwon KW, Park J-H, Shin SJ.
Adjunctive administration of parabiotic Lactobacillus sakei CVL-001 ameliorates drug-induced toxicity and pulmonary inflammation during antibiotic treatment for tuberculosis.
International Immunopharmacology 2024 Mar 10:132:111937

4. Kwon KW*, Choi HG*, Kim KS, Park SA, Kim HJ, Shin SJ. 
BCG-booster vaccination with HSP90-ESAT-6-HspX-RipA multivalent subunit vaccine confers durable protection against hypervirulent Mtb in mice.
NPJ Vaccines 2024 Mar 8;9(1):55. (*co-first author)

5. Choi H-G, Kwon KW, Shin SJ.
Importance of adjuvant selection in tuberculosis vaccine development: Exploring basic mechanisms and clinical implications.
Vaccine: X 2023 Oct 29:15:100400

6. Kwon KW*, Kang TG, Lee A, Jin SM, Lim YT, Shin SJ, Ha S-J.
Protective efficacy and immunogenicity of Rv0351/Rv3628 subunit vaccine formulated in different adjuvants against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
Immune Network 2023 Apr;23(2):e16 (*co-first author)

7. Lee JM, Park J, Reed SG, Coler RN, Hong JJ, Kim L-H, Lee W, Kwon KW*, Shin SJ.
Vaccination inducing durable and robust antigen-specific Th1/Th17 immune responses contributes to prophylactic protection against Mycobacterium avium infection but is ineffective as an adjunct to antibiotic treatment in chronic disease.
Virulence 2022 Dec;13(1):808-832 (*co-corresponding)

8. Kwon KW, Aceves-Sánchez MJ, Segura-Cerda CA, Choi E, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Shin SJ, Flores-Valdez MA.
BCGΔBCG1419c increased memory CD8⁺ T cell-associated immunogenicity and mitigated pulmonary inflammation compared with BCG in a model of chronic tuberculosis.
Scientific Reports 2022 Sep 22;12(1):15824.

9. Kim L-H, Kang SM, Whang J, Kwon KW*, Shin SJ.
Novel antibacterial activity of febuxostat, an FDA-approved antigout drug against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 2022 Sep 20;66(9):e0076222 (*co-corresponding)

10. Kwon KW*, Kim L-H, Kang SM, Lee JM, Choi E, Park J, Hong JJ, Shin SJ.
Host-directed anti-mycobacterial activity of colchicine, an anti-gout drug, via strengthened host innate resistance reinforced by the IL-1β/PGE₂ axis.
British Journal of Pharmacology 2022 Aug;179(15):3951-3969 (*co-first author)

11. Kang TG, Kwon KW*, Kim KS, Lee I, Kim MJ, Ha S-J, Shin SJ.
Viral coinfection promotes tuberculosis immunopathogenesis by type I IFN signaling-dependent impediment of Th1 pulmonary influx.
Nature Communications 2022 Jun 7;13(1):3155 (*co-first author)

12. Bak Y, Park SC, Shim D, Ha Y, Lee JM, Kim H, Kwon KW, Yoon J-H, Shin SJ.
Exacerbation of Mycobacterium avium pulmonary infection by comorbid allergic asthma is associated with diminished mycobacterium-specific Th17 responses.
Virulence 2021 Dec;12(1):2546-2561

13. Park J, Kim H, Kwon KW, Choi HH, Kang SM, Hong JJ, Shin SJ.
Toll-like receptor 4 signaling-mediated responses are critically engaged in optimal host protection against highly virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis K infection.
Virulence 2020 Dec;11(1):430-445

14. Choi HG, Kwon KW*, Choi S, Back YW, Park HS, Kang SM, Choi E, Shin SJ, Kim HJ.
Antigen-Specific IFN-γ/IL-17-Co-Producing CD4 + T-Cells Are the Determinants for Protective Efficacy of Tuberculosis Subunit Vaccine.
Vaccines (Basel) 2020 Jun 11;8(2):300 (*co-first author)

15. Park SC, Kim H, Bak Y, Shim D, Kwon KW, Kim C-H, Yoon J-H, Shin SJ.
An Alternative Dendritic Cell-Induced Murine Model of Asthma Exhibiting a Robust Th2/Th17-Skewed Response.
Allergy Asthma and Immunology Research 2020 May;12(3):537-555

16. Kim H, Kwon KW, Park J, Kang H, Lee Y, Sohn E-J, Hwang I, Eum S-Y, Shin SJ.
Plant-Produced N-glycosylated Ag85A Exhibits Enhanced Vaccine Efficacy Against Mycobacterium tuberculosis HN878 Through Balanced Multifunctional Th1 T Cell Immunity.
Vaccines (Basel) 2020 Apr 18;8(2):189

17. Levillain F, Kim H, Kwon KW, Clark S, Cia F, Malaga W, Lannai F, Brodin P, Gicquel B, Guilhot C, Bancroft GJ, Williams A, Shin SJ, Poquet Y, Neyrolles O.
Preclinical Assessment of a New Live Attenuated Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing-based Vaccine for Tuburculosis.
Vaccine 2020 Feb 38(6):1416-1423

지도교수 : 권기웅 

(2024 Present Lab members)
Graduate student: Hyeong Woo Kim
Research Assistant: Thi Hong Nhung Pham

Contact: kwkwon@gnu.ac.kr
Homepage: https://www.gnu.ac.kr/mycobacteria/main.do