Article Published in Experimental & Molecular Medicine (Nature Portfolio)

Two years ago, Dr. Koh, together with colleagues from South Korea, participated in the "Astrocytes in Brain Function and Disease Symposium" held at the Nobel Forum at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, a venue well known for hosting scientific discussions associated with the Nobel Prize community.

At the symposium, leading brain scientists and clinicians gathered to discuss emerging therapeutic strategies targeting astrocytes in brain disorders. Based on these discussions and collaborative efforts, the resulting review article, "Curing the brain: in search for new astrocyte-specific therapies" has now been published in Experimental & Molecular Medicine (Nature Portfolio). Dr. Koh contributed to the scientific discussions surrounding astrocyte-targeted therapeutic strategies and participated as a co-author of the published work.

Morphological heterogeneity of astroglia (from the article)

In this review, we discuss how astrocytes, once considered primarily supportive cells, actively contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. The article highlights emerging astrocyte-specific therapeutic approaches for conditions including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, ALS, epilepsy, and neuroinflammatory disorders, while emphasizing a broader shift beyond traditional neuron-centric views of the brain.

Hopefully, future discussions and collaborations will further expand these astrocyte-centered perspectives into brain developmental disorders as well !

Verkhratsky, Alexei, et al. "Curing the brain: in search for new astrocyte-specific therapies." Experimental & Molecular Medicine (2026): 1-42.