The research team of Professor Jin Soo Han and Dr. Jae Won Lee at College of Veterinary Medicine won the ‘Outstanding Paper Award 2020’ from an international journal, Asian Journal of Andrology. (Thesis title: Sodium nitrite-derived nitric oxide protects rat testes against ischemia/reperfusion injury) ▲ Prof. Jin Soo Han ▲ Dr. Jae Won LeeDr. Lee has continuously developed his research on testicular torsion, which mostly occurs during adolescence. One of the pathophysiological factor of testicular torsion is ischemia/reperfusion injury, which induces an increase in active oxygen and nitrogen, resulting in apoptosis of the testicles and abnormalities in spermatogenesis.Nitric Oxide, a freely dispersed hydrophilic and lipophilic gas particle, affects the maintenance of various homeostasis such as vascular control in various tissues and organs in the body. As it is chemically unstable and exists outside for a short period of time, NO requires pre-stage materials that supply nitrogen monoxide, which is typically synthesized from three types of nitric oxide synthases (nNOS, eNOS, iNOS). However, acidic conditions such as ischemia block the generation of these NOS-dependent nitric oxide and activate the generation of nitric oxide in an alternative way.
The research team medicated nitrite in experimental animals inducing NO, and received much recognition for identifying various therapeutic effects such as suppressing germ cell apoptosis, reducing oxidative stress, antioxidant effects and inhibiting lipid peroxidation.
After earning a doctorate in experimental animal medicine from Konkuk University in 2012, Dr. Lee worked at Celltrion Biotechnology Research Institute, and is currently a lead research at Korea Confromity Laboratories, an affiliate of Korean Agency for Technology and Standards under Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.