Kim Hyo-soo

Professor in Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine

Kim Hyo-soo is a renowned physician-scientist in Korea. He started his career as a cardiology specialist. After studying molecular biology at the University of Tokyo, he returned to his school, Seoul National University College of Medicine, where he dedicated himself to cardiovascular research. He is the winner of the 24th Wunsch Medical Award (2014) and the Asan Medical Award (2008).

Among the 27 drugs developed in Korea, Boryung Pharmaceutical’s Kanarb, a hypertension drug, is the first and only one to reach 30 billion won ($28 million) in its annual sales. The rest of them have either disappeared from the market or fallen far below sales expectations. Aiming to solve health issues possibly affecting millions of people across the world, Kim Hyo-soo, a renowned cardiologist and medical researcher at Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH), wants to set a new bar for the nation’s biomedical success. “Our goal is to realize the huge potential of the nation’s biomedical field by creating wealth in five years,” Kim said in an interview. “We are trying to develop ways to selectively block resistin, a hormone that links abdominal obesity to atherosclerosis and diabetes (cardiometabolic syndrome). If we succeed, the impact will be profound.” In 2014, his team discovered that adenylyl cyclase-associated protein 1 (CAP1) is a functional receptor for human resistin and published the finding in the journal Cell Metabolism. “We found that resistin binds to CAP1 in monocytes to mediate up-regulation of noxious cytokines, which eventually leads to various health issues,” he said. “I believe, by preventing resistin from binding to CAP1 or blocking CAP1’s activity, it is possible to block the activity of inflammatory monocytes and therefore prevent arteriosclerosis and diabetes (cardiometabolic syndrome).” “Since the discovery, our team has been working to develop an antibody and peptide that can do the job, in collaboration with Daewoong Pharmaceutical,” he said. Many scientific discoveries remain just that — discoveries, while others make a fortune.
Over the past 20 years, Kim has been focusing on research in various medical fields, publishing about 250 papers in international journals. Now he wants to prove that his achievements as scientist extend beyond the academic world. “As a scholar, I wanted to discover new molecules, which were my biggest interest for a long time,” he said. “But recently, I realized that it would be more meaningful to make something helpful for people. So I shifted gears from doing research like something more of a hobby to developing practical applications.”
“In addition, I thought making big commercial successes would open more opportunities for my colleagues and students.” In 2015, Kim found that the molecule CD82/KAI1 is expressed predominantly on long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs). He also discovered that DARC/CD234 plays a role in stabilizing CD82 on LT-HSCs. He believes the findings also have potential for clinical application. Hematopoietic stem cells, also known as blood stem cells, give rise to different types of specialized cells found in the blood. Located in the red bone marrow, which is contained in the core of most bones, they are essential for the body’s immune system and are capable of self-renewing and copying themselves. “LT-HSCs refer to the cells with long-term regeneration capacities. Quiescence, which means a state of dormancy, allows them to keep the capabilities. Normally, LT-HSCs stay hidden in the bone marrow; they come out and produce blood cells only when they have to,” Kim said. “What we found is the mechanism behind quiescence, and the finding has been published in the journal Cell Stem Cell last year.” He believes knowledge about the mechanism can be used for patients whose bone marrows are damaged. To keep the blood healthy, hematopoietic stem cells need to make just the right amount of each type of blood cell, which is a very sophisticated process. If anything goes wrong, it may cause a blood disease such as leukemia or anemia. His goal is to tackle such problems. With scientists around the world still learning about blood stem cells and searching for ways to produce a limitless supply of them, his discovery is a meaningful step toward developing new treatment methods.

A cardiologist who wanted to learn more than cardiology

After graduating from Seoul National University College of Medicine in 1984, Kim started working as a cardiology specialist. His career took a drastic turn in 1992 when his teachers Lee Young-woo and Park Young-bae offered him an opportunity to study in Japan. “I was thinking about studying in the United States like what most of my classmates did at that time. But Lee totally changed my mind. He said, ‘With much less resources, doctors in Japan produce competitive research papers. I want you to go there and learn their know-how,’” Kim recalled. “I took his advice and went to Japan.” At the University of Tokyo, he studied molecular biology, which was a burgeoning field at the time. For two years, he did exactly as his professor told him to do. “I learned much about basic research and built good relationships with Japanese scholars who I still keep in touch with,” he said. “I’m glad that I listened to my teachers and made the decision.” Since Kim returned to SNUH in 1994, he has dedicated himself to cardiovascular research at the school. “For the first few years, my job was largely about setting up the right research environment,” he said. “I received lots of support from senior professors and colleagues, who trusted me.” While doing research and administrative work as a director, he continued treating patients. But he found himself gravitating more toward research every day. “I wanted to do something more creative and original,” he said. He also wanted to continue learning more about research. In 2000, he flew to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston, where he learned about gene therapy and stem cell therapy for two years as a visiting professor. His experience at the school led him to various research projects, including on hematopoietic stem cells. “I was intrigued by the potential of stem cells, which appeared to be capable of treating any problems anywhere in the body,” Kim said. Since he returned to Korea in 2002, he cemented his position as a physician-scientist whose expertise goes far beyond cardiology. Meanwhile, the Cardiovascular Center at SNUH has grown into one of Korea’s best clinical and research institutions, which is also respected outside of the country. “I really appreciate my teachers and colleagues who have supported me along the way. Without them, I would not be able to make it here. Giving what I received back to my students is my obligation, and I’m going to try my best to do so until I retire,” he said.