Research interests

Hoon Hyun’s laboratory has focused on the development of novel fluorescent imaging agents for target-specific imaging and therapy. A single fluorophore could be designed to control the pharmacophore to binding sites of the target tissues directed by structure-inherent chemical recognition. Thus, the single compact fluorophore performs both targeting and imaging, simultaneously. This strategy is the paradigm shift in a role of fluorophores from traditional method used for covalent conjugation of targeting ligands and fluorescence imaging agents.

1. Development of near-infrared fluorophores for organ- and tissue-specific imaging

- The development of real-time image guidance, where it provides a surgeon direct image guidance to the target of the interest, is needed to avoid many surgical problems such as incomplete resection of cancerous tissues or damage to nerves or blood vessels. Optical imaging provides real-time visualization of the surgical field, allowing intraoperative image-guided surgery.

- We focus on the molecular design required for developing tissue-specific probes and the biological infrastructure to be overcome or harnessed to achieve selective tissue imaging.

2. Development of disease-specific near-infrared fluorophores

- Long-term survival of cancer patients depends on the ability to fully resect tumorous tissue while avoiding vital tissue present on the surgical field.

- A structure-inherent targeting strategy would help overcome the obstacles of targeting ligand-based contrast agent to native tissues and sensitive glands, which remains a longstanding clinical problem in contrast agent development. We suggest that the molecular character may be modified and finely tuned to achieve selective uptake with high signal-to-background ratio in particular tissues using a structure-inherent approach that exploits chemical recognition to biological tissue for targeting and biodistribution.

3. Cancer-targeted near-infrared fluorophores for efficient phototherapy

- Near-infrared light-induced phototherapy has been approved as a highly accurate therapeutic strategy with high selectivity and minimal side effects. Phototherapeutic agents can absorb light energy and cause local hyperthermia and/or reactive oxygen species generation, resulting in cancer cell death.

- The key to successful phototherapy is cancer-targeted fluorescence imaging using functional near-infrared fluorophores for precise light treatment and efficient photosensitization in the tumors.

4. Drug-mimicking near-infrared fluorophores for targeted cancer chemotherapy

- Using the known affinities of bisphosphonates for bone minerals, we suggest a new strategy based on incorporation of phosphonate moieties into the chemical structure of polymethine indocyanines. As the results of this concept, the phosphonated near-infrared fluorophores could increase bone strength, acting like bisphosphonate drugs, and improve bone density by preventing the loss of minerals.

- We recently found that one of targeted near-infrared fluorophores showed significant tumor accumulation and effective tumor suppression in breast cancer xenograft models after systemic intravenous administration. 

​근적외선 형광물질의 개발을 통한 다양한 바이오 의료 분야에의 적용 가능성

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• Member of The Korean Society for Biomaterials, The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, Korean Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Society, The Polymer Society of Korea, The Pharmaceutical Society of Korea, Optical Society of Korea