Tae Wan Kim

This study develops a method to derive and maintain specific subtypes of human midbrain dopaminergic neurons in vitro, revealing their functional and molecular characteristics and potential vulnerability in disease.

The paper benchmarks dopaminergic stem cell models and cell therapy candidates using a human brain atlas to identify off-target populations and lineage plasticity.

This study improves the yield and subtype identity of hPSC-derived midbrain dopamine neurons through optimized WNT and FGF18 signaling modulation, enhancing their functional and transcriptional similarity to primary neurons.

The paper identifies p53-mediated apoptosis and TNF-NFkB signaling as key factors limiting survival of grafted dopamine neurons and shows that adalimumab treatment improves their engraftment and function in a PD mouse model.

This study identifies a gene regulatory pathway involving SATB1, MIR22HG, and GBA that leads to glucocerebroside accumulation and cellular senescence in dopaminergic neurons, contributing to Parkinson's Disease and aging.

This study shows that loss of SATB1 in dopaminergic neurons leads to cellular senescence through p21 activation, suggesting a role for senescence in Parkinson's disease pathology.