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Kye-Im Jeon, Ph.D.

Kye-Im Jeon, Ph.D.

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Call Center (585) 276-3000

About Me

Faculty Appointments

Research Assistant Professor - Department of Ophthalmology (SMD)

Credentials

Education

PhD | Korea-Catholic Med Coll, Seoul. Biochemistry. 2001

MS | Korea-Yonsei University. Biochemistry. 1995

Research

Dr. Jeon has a long-standing interest in contractile cells. Earlier in her career, she investigated the differentiation and proliferation of smooth muscle cells, such as those that occur during pathological vascular remodeling in atherosclerosis and restenosis.

During the last few years, Dr....
Dr. Jeon has a long-standing interest in contractile cells. Earlier in her career, she investigated the differentiation and proliferation of smooth muscle cells, such as those that occur during pathological vascular remodeling in atherosclerosis and restenosis.

During the last few years, Dr. Jeon has turned her attention to corneal wound healing and, in particular, the differentiation from fibroblasts to myofibroblasts. At first, this work focused on ways of pharmacologically controlling this process, especially using PPARs ligands. These ligands are already clinically used for the treatment of diabetes and are known to regulate many important cellular functions, including metabolism, adipogenesis, proliferation and differentiation in a variety of body tissues. Relevant to the cornea, we found PPARs ligands capable of inhibiting myofibroblast differentiation in vivo and in vitro, identifying them as a potentially exciting, new class of topical ocular therapeutics.

While pursuing this project, Dr. Jeon's team also discovered that myofibroblast transformation – such as occurs in large corneal wounds - directly inhibits nerve regeneration in vivo and in vitro. Her current efforts are focused on understanding the interaction between myofibroblasts and neurons. Controlling corneal re-innervation after wounding has important implications for blinding conditions such as neurotrophic keratitis, where persistent corneal wounds occur.

Patents

Method and Compositions for Treatment or Prevention of Inflammatory Conditions

Issue date: March 11, 2015

Patent #: 1602247

Country: China, People's Republic of

Inventors: Bradford C Berk, Kye-Im Jeon, Jian-Dong Li, Xiangbin Xu, Chen Yan

Method and Compositions For Treatment or Prevention of Inflammatory Conditions

Issue date: January 26, 2016

Patent #: 9,241,932

Country: United States

Inventors: Bradford C Berk, Kye-Im Jeon, Jian-Dong Li, Xiangbin Xu, Chen Yan

Method and Compositions For Treatment or Prevention of Inflammatory Conditions

Issue date: June 20, 2017

Patent #: 9,682,070

Country: United States

Inventors: Bradford C Berk, Kye-Im Jeon, Jian-Dong Li, Xiangbin Xu, Chen Yan

Publications

Journal Articles

Blocking Mitochondrial Pyruvate Transport Alters Corneal Myofibroblast Phenotype: A New Target for Treating Fibrosis.

Jeon KI, Kumar A, Callan CL, DeMagistris M, MacRae S, Nehrke K, Huxlin KR

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 2023 October 364 (13):36. Epub 1900 01 01.

Defining the Role of Mitochondrial Fission in Corneal Myofibroblast Differentiation.

Jeon KI, Kumar A, Wozniak KT, Nehrke K, Huxlin KR

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 2022 April 163 (4):2. Epub 1900 01 01.

How scars shape the neural landscape: Key molecular mediators of TGF-?1's anti-neuritogenic effects.

Jeon KI, Huxlin KR

PloS one.. 2020 15 (11):e0234950. Epub 11/24/2020.

Semaphorin 3A potentiates the profibrotic effects of transforming growth factor-?1 in the cornea.

Jeon KI, Nehrke K, Huxlin KR

Biochemical and biophysical research communications.. 2019 October 24 Epub 10/24/2019.

Corneal myofibroblasts inhibit regenerating nerves during wound healing.

Jeon KI, Hindman HB, Bubel T, McDaniel T, DeMagistris M, Callan C, Huxlin KR

Scientific reports.. 2018 August 288 (1):12945. Epub 08/28/2018.

Antifibrotic Actions of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor ? Ligands in Corneal Fibroblasts Are Mediated by ?-Catenin-Regulated Pathways.

Jeon KI, Phipps RP, Sime PJ, Huxlin KR

The American journal of pathology.. 2017 August 187 (8):1660-1669. Epub 06/10/2017.

Inhibitory effects of PPAR? ligands on TGF-?1-induced CTGF expression in cat corneal fibroblasts.

Jeon KI, Phipps RP, Sime PJ, Huxlin KR

Experimental eye research.. 2015 September 138 :52-8. Epub 07/02/2015.

Inhibitory effects of PPAR? ligands on TGF-?1-induced corneal myofibroblast transformation.

Jeon KI, Kulkarni A, Woeller CF, Phipps RP, Sime PJ, Hindman HB, Huxlin KR

The American journal of pathology.. 2014 May 184 (5):1429-45. Epub 03/17/2014.

Topical rosiglitazone is an effective anti-scarring agent in the cornea.

Huxlin KR, Hindman HB, Jeon KI, Bühren J, Macrae S, Demagistris M, Ciufo D, Sime PJ, Phipps RP

PloS one.. 2013 8 (8):e70785. Epub 08/05/2013.

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 1 regulates lysosome-dependent type I collagen protein degradation in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Cai Y, Miller CL, Nagel DJ, Jeon KI, Lim S, Gao P, Knight PA, Yan C

Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology.. 2011 March 31 (3):616-23. Epub 12/09/2010.

Ca2+/calmodulin-stimulated PDE1 regulates the beta-catenin/TCF signaling through PP2A B56 gamma subunit in proliferating vascular smooth muscle cells.

Jeon KI, Jono H, Miller CL, Cai Y, Lim S, Liu X, Gao P, Abe JI, Li JD, Yan C

The FEBS journal.. 2010 December 277 (24):5026-39. Epub 11/16/2010.

Vinpocetine inhibits NF-kappaB-dependent inflammation via an IKK-dependent but PDE-independent mechanism.

Jeon KI, Xu X, Aizawa T, Lim JH, Jono H, Kwon DS, Abe JI, Berk BC, Li JD, Yan C

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.. 2010 May 25107 (21):9795-800. Epub 05/06/2010.

Differential regulation of endothelial cell permeability by cGMP via phosphodiesterases 2 and 3.

Surapisitchat J, Jeon KI, Yan C, Beavo JA

Circulation research.. 2007 October 12101 (8):811-8. Epub 08/17/2007.

Activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 reduces cardiac apoptosis and dysfunction via inhibition of a phosphodiesterase 3A/inducible cAMP early repressor feedback loop.

Yan C, Ding B, Shishido T, Woo CH, Itoh S, Jeon KI, Liu W, Xu H, McClain C, Molina CA, Blaxall BC, Abe J

Circulation research.. 2007 March 2100 (4):510-9. Epub 02/01/2007.

Role of nuclear Ca2+/calmodulin-stimulated phosphodiesterase 1A in vascular smooth muscle cell growth and survival.

Nagel DJ, Aizawa T, Jeon KI, Liu W, Mohan A, Wei H, Miano JM, Florio VA, Gao P, Korshunov VA, Berk BC, Yan C

Circulation research.. 2006 March 3198 (6):777-84. Epub 03/02/2006.

Pretreatment of indole-3-carbinol augments TRAIL-induced apoptosis in a prostate cancer cell line, LNCaP.

Jeon KI, Rih JK, Kim HJ, Lee YJ, Cho CH, Goldberg ID, Rosen EM, Bae I

FEBS letters.. 2003 June 5544 (1-3):246-51. Epub 1900 01 01.

Gold compound auranofin inhibits IkappaB kinase (IKK) by modifying Cys-179 of IKKbeta subunit.

Jeon KI, Byun MS, Jue DM

Experimental & molecular medicine.. 2003 April 3035 (2):61-6. Epub 1900 01 01.

Dual effect of oxidative stress on NF-kappakB activation in HeLa cells.

Byun MS, Jeon KI, Choi JW, Shim JY, Jue DM

Experimental & molecular medicine.. 2002 November 3034 (5):332-9. Epub 1900 01 01.

Chloroquine decreases cell-surface expression of tumour necrosis factor receptors in human histiocytic U-937 cells.

Jeong JY, Choi JW, Jeon KI, Jue DM

Immunology.. 2002 January 105 (1):83-91. Epub 1900 01 01.