About Our Lab

The Kim Laboratory is interested in elucidating mechanisms of hormone action in reproductive tissues and its diseases. We are interested in the role of abnormally activated AKT pathway in endometrial cancer, endometriosis and uterine fibroids, and how this signaling pathway influences hormone receptor action, specifically, progesterone receptor (PR). We use novel in vitro and in vivo models in our studies, including 3D organ cultures linked together in a microfluidic platform, patient derived xenografted tumors in mice, and conditional Pten null mice. Preclinical studies include testing of AKT inhibitors as well as selective progesterone receptor modulators in various disease contexts. Ongoing collaborative projects include those with the Hope Lab look at hormonal regulation of the endocervix that participate in HIV transmission in women, and with the Khan lab, looking at molecular mechanisms of progesterone receptor modulators for prevention of breast cancer.

News

Recent Publications

• Lee I, Kim JJ.  Influence of AKT on Progesterone action in endometrial diseases.  Biology of Reproduction 2014 91(3):63
• Yildiz Arslan S, Yu Y, Burdette JE, Pavone ME, Hope TJ, Woodruff TK, Kim JJ.  Novel Three Dimensional Human Endocervix Cultures Respond to 28-day Hormone Treatment.  Endocrinology 2015 (in press). 
• Unno K, Ono M, Winder AD, Maniar KP, Paintal AS, Yu Y, Wei J, Lurain JR, Kim JJ.  Establishment of human patient-derived endometrial cancer xenografts in NOD scid gamma mice for the study of invasion and metastasis.  PLoS One.  2014 Dec 26;9(12):e116064.

 For a larger list of selected publications visit our publications page.