R&D
ConnectaGen Co., Ltd.'s corporate research institute is co-located with the Human Genome Polymorphism Research Center and the Precision Medicine Research Center, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea.
Company-affiliated research institute
1) Contribute to the identification, diagnosis and treatment of incurable diseases based on human genome research.
2) Provides a basis for the development of precision medicine through genome research.
3) Propose a new alternative to translational medicine that connects basic research and clinical care through technology development that provides specialized gene-based clinical services to patients.
4) Strive to nurture experts in the field of genome and bioinformatics.
Human Genome Polymorphism Lab
Professor Yeunjun Chung, the director of this institute and the CEO of Connectagen, has been devoted to research in the field of genomics related to diseases for the past 25 years, and through this, genetic mutations and polymorphisms have contributed to various diseases including cancer.
To date, he has been making breakthroughs in the Korean scientific community through the development and dissemination of various genome research and related technologies, including Oncogenomics.
Dissemination of Array-CGH and related Bioinformatics technology
- Array-CGH chip technology that combines the advantages of microarray and gene hybridization (CGH) was designed for the first time in the world in the mouse field.
By applying this technology to human tumor research, we have discovered new carcinogenesis mechanisms and related genes in important cancers such as lung cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, and blood cancer.
- This technology has been used as one of the core technologies in domestic cancer research since it was introduced in Korea in 2004.
- About 80 related SCI papers have been published not only by myself but also by other researchers.
- Developed localization technology of Cot-1 DNA reagent for localization and import substitution of Array-CGH analysis reagent (Patent: 10-0660634)
Variomics-based research and clinical application research
- In 2004, a study on copy number variation (CNV), whose existence was revealed, began for the first time in Korea, and the results of disease association studies of variome represented by SNP/CNV were continuously published. In the national consortium study, large-scale CNV analysis was conducted to discover unique CNV aspects of Koreans and build a database.
- By grafting the CNV research base to research on chronic complex diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and ankylosing spondylitis, we have discovered genetic mutations that predict disease onset and enable preemptive prevention. These research results have been published in the best relevant journals.
Precision Medicine
- Based on Microsatellite among human genome mutation markers, the existence and function of Microsatellite instability that contributes to the progression of cancer, and LOH phenomenon of Tumor Suppressor Gene were reported for the first time in Korea.
International joint research
- Collaborative research with global genomic research teams such as Dr. Nigel Carter group of Sanger Institute in the UK, Dr. Charles Lee group of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Stephen Scherer group of Toronto Medical University, Dr. Takumi group of Tokyo University, and Human Variome Project (HVP) group has been continuously promoted to build an international research cooperation pipeline, and related results have been announced.
- The results of joint research such as mouse CNV guidance study, autism chromosome identification, international variome networking, and cancer research using Array-CGH have been published in leading academic journals and researcher exchange visits are being conducted.
Precision Medicine Research Center
For the development of precision medicine, which will become the center of future medicine, the TFT has been formed since 2015, and in 2016, the 'Cancer Gene Panel Utilization Research Project' for cancer gene mutation analysis, such as establishing a platform for practical use of precision medicine, and was established in 2017 after actively preparing for.
Since March 2017, health insurance has been applied to cancer panel testing based on ‘next-generation sequencing (NGS)’, and social interest in personalized disease treatment and prevention through genetic analysis is rapidly spreading.
Accordingly, the development of cancer panels that can be used in clinical fields and the dissemination of technology will begin in earnest.
Based on the nation's largest medical network of the Catholic Central Medical Center, the Catholic Precision Medical Database is built, and the long-term goal is to link this big data to cancer treatment technology development research and treatment
A study on the vitalization of relay medicine in connection with various basic-clinical studies of the Catholic Central Medical Center
Construction of precision medical infrastructure and clinical application research
- Research on the development of personalized cancer and complex disease genome analysis technology
- Development of In-house Disease Gene Analysis Panel of Catholic Medical University
- Development of personalized avatar animal models and research on precision medical applications
- Research on the development of big data analysis technology for clinical application of precision medicine
- Research on druggable target discovery and diagnosis and treatment development using BI technology
- Research on various ethical issues involved in precision medicine and suggest solutions
- Support for nurturing practical talents and training experts in precision medicine