World's First Identification of a Tumor-Promoting Microenvironment Before Lung Cancer Develops

Opening the Way for Preventive Treatment Strategies

A research team led by Professor Choi Jin-wook at GIST, in collaboration with a research team led by Professor Lee Ju-hyun at MSK, has identified for the first time how mutant cells transform surrounding tissue into a tumor-promoting microenvironment before lung cancer develops. By blocking amphiregulin signaling, the study suggests the potential for preventive treatment strategies that target the onset of cancer itself, as well as new directions for precision medicine.

A research team led by Professor Choi Jin-wook of the GIST Department of Life Sciences, in collaboration with Professor Lee Ju-hyun's team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), has identified for the first time a three-stage chain reaction through which mutant alveolar type 2 stem cells condition surrounding cells to form a tumor-promoting fibrotic microenvironment before lung cancer develops into a detectable tumor. Through mouse models and three-dimensional lung organoid experiments, the team confirmed that amphiregulin (AREG), a signaling molecule secreted by mutant cells, induces fibrotic activation in fibroblasts, followed by macrophage-mediated amplification of inflammation that completes a self-reinforcing circuit. When the AREG signaling axis was blocked, the formation of the fibrotic environment was inhibited, and early lung tumor development was suppressed. The same phenomenon was reproduced in patient-derived organoid models established in cooperation with Severance Hospital. Professor Choi stated, “This study is significant because it presents a strategy for preventing cancer at its source by disrupting the communication between mutant cells and their surrounding environment,” adding, “It could mark a turning point toward a new generation of preventive and precision therapies.” The research results were published in the international journal Nature.

Mutant stem cells reshape the microenvironment during the early stages of lung cancer. During the early stages of lung cancer, mutant stem cells (red) send signals to fibroblasts (green) and macrophages (white), altering their characteristics. This reorganizes the surrounding tissue into an environment that supports cancer growth, thereby promoting tumor development.

Slowing Parkinson's Disease Progression by Inhibiting Ceramide Production

A Strategy for Blocking a Key Pathological Pathway

A research team led by Professor Oh Chang-myung at GIST has confirmed that the accumulation of ceramide in brain cells is a major driver of alpha-synuclein aggregation and neuronal damage and has developed a therapeutic strategy to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease by inhibiting ceramide production. The team demonstrated improved motor function and neuroprotective effects in both animal models and patient-derived cellular models.

A research team led by Professor Oh Chang-myung of the GIST Department of Biomedical Science & Engineering has identified ceramide as a key causal factor in Parkinson's disease pathology through analyses of patient brain tissue and experiments using animal models. In the brains of patients with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), levels of 19 ceramide species were significantly elevated compared with those in healthy controls, and the activity of genes related to ceramide-producing enzymes --such as CERS5 and CERS6 --was also elevated in dopaminergic neurons. When the ceramide inhibitor myriocin was administered to mouse models of Parkinson's disease for five to seven months, protein aggregation decreased, motor function and memory improved, and dopaminergic neuronal damage was reduced. The same results were reproduced in patient-derived midbrain organoids, and when ceramide was added exogenously, the pathology worsened again, demonstrating ceramide's direct role in disease progression. Professor Oh stated, “This suggests the possibility of blocking the fundamental pathway of the disease that leads to protein aggregation and neuronal death, rather than simply alleviating symptoms,” adding, “We plan to continue developing safe ceramide synthesis inhibitors for future clinical application and evaluating their long-term toxicity.”

Ceramide accumulation and altered expression of related genes in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease. In the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease, specific lipid components, known as ceramides, were found to be significantly elevated compared with healthy controls (a). In the dopaminergic neurons of patients with Parkinson's disease, the overall activity of genes involved in ceramide production or metabolism, including CERS5, CERS6, DEGS1, and GBA, was elevated compared with the healthy controls (b).

Virtual Battery Technology Aggregates Thousands of Electric Vehicles

Reducing Costs by up to 14.9% and Advancing V2G Commercialization

A research team led by Professor Kim Yoon-su at GIST has developed a control technology that integrates a fleet of electric vehicles into a single virtual battery without requiring sensitive information from individual vehicles. By accurately translating power market bids into charging and discharging schedules for individual vehicles, the team confirmed the technology's applicability at a scale of 5,000 vehicles, demonstrated a cost reduction of up to 14.9%, and laid new groundwork for the commercialization of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.

A research team led by Professor Kim Yoon-su of the GIST Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science has developed a technology that aggregates multiple electric vehicles into a single robust virtual battery, enabling the fleet to participate in actual power market transactions. Existing technologies often result in errors when distributing overall power plans to individual vehicles and raise concerns about the exposure of sensitive information, as they require collecting the battery status of each vehicle. The research team devised a mathematical model that operates using only two pieces of information: the target state of charge and the period during which each vehicle is connected to a charger. The team also mathematically proved that the overall plan can be implemented through individual vehicle charging and discharging without deviation. In power market simulations based on data from thousands of vehicles over eight months, the team reduced operating costs by between 8.8% and 14.9% and confirmed the technology's scalability through rapid computation even for fleets of 5,000 vehicles. Professor Kim stated, “We have established a foundation for using a large fleet of electric vehicles as a single reliable energy resource,” adding, “This will help accelerate the commercialization of V2G technology and contribute to greater flexibility and stability in the power grid.” The research results were published in eTransportation, a leading international journal in transportation science and technology.

Integrated virtual battery framework for electric vehicle participation in the power market. The figure illustrates how the available battery capacity of multiple electric vehicles can be aggregated into a single virtual battery whose capacity changes over time.

One-Hundredfold Improvement in Shielding Performance at One-Hundredth the Thickness of a Human Hair

Development of a World-Class Ultrathin Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Film

A research team led by Professor Yeon Han-wool at GIST, in collaboration with a research team led by Professor Joo Young-chang at Seoul National University, has developed an EXIM heterojunction structure that combines metal and MXene. This achievement has enabled the material to deliver more than 100 times the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance of conventional materials at a thickness of only 1 -2 μm. This development resolves the long-standing thickness -performance trade-off in semiconductor shielding films.

A research team led by Professor Yeon Han-wool of the GIST Department of Materials Science & Engineering, in collaboration with research teams led by Professor Joo Young-chang at Seoul National University, Professor Kim Myung-ki at Korea University, and Dr. Lee Sung-soo at KIST, has developed a world-class ultrathin EMI shielding technology. Existing conformal EMI shielding films have faced a dilemma in which reducing the thickness sharply lowers shielding performance, making it difficult to achieve both lightweight construction and high performance. The research team devised an EXIM structure --a layered stack of metal and MXene thin films fabricated without pores using conventional semiconductor packaging equipment --which achieved an exceptionally high shielding effectiveness of 70 -80 dB at a thickness of less than 2 μm. By adding a chromium -aluminum capping layer, the performance was maintained for over 48 hours even in high-temperature (above 85°C) and high-humidity (85% RH) environments, and process compatibility was confirmed using actual USB flash drives and flexible electronic devices. Professor Yeon stated, “This achievement overcomes the thickness -performance dilemma that has long remained unsolved in EMI shielding materials,” adding, “It is expected to be widely applied in next-generation semiconductor packaging, smart devices, flexible electronics, and many other fields.” The research results were published in the international journal Nature.

Types of EMI shielding films used in semiconductor packaging and the conformal EXIM shielding film. Metal can-type shields provide strong performance but are thick and heavy, while porous shielding films offer high performance relative to their thickness but face various limitations associated with pore formation. The research team's EXIM shielding film features a layered structure of metal and MXene thin films. By confining electromagnetic waves within the MXene layers, the structure maximizes shielding performance even at an ultrathin thickness.