▲ Designed Cells / CEO James Yun-Bae Kim

Alzheimer’s is the most common degenerative brain disease. The accumulated amyloid peptide causes the brain losing memory and learning ability. In late-stage Alzheimer’s, people become unable to recognize even their own families. 

A report shows that about 10% suffer from the disease under 60 but 50% as they progress over 85. The number of dementia patients has reached around 50 million as of 2020 with yearly 971 trillion won ($825 billion) cost in care and management of patients. The WHO predicts the number will increase to 150 million by 2050.

Stem cells are master cells that can differentiate into any cells of the body. Making most of this advantage, researchers have endeavored to develop medicines to cure dementia. However, stem cells’ morphing ability does not mean it can progress into medicines easier. It is hardly achievable, for example, that culture cells without functional gene can cure serious illnesses, one of the reasons that major pharmaceutical firms have not drawn substantial results yet.

Finding answers at ‘gene-encoding stem cells’ and ‘exosomes’ 
Established in 2016, Designed Cells Co., Ltd., has dug up why globally renowned pharmaceutical firms have suffered failures. And CEO James Yun-Bae Kim found answers at ‘gene-encoding stem cells’ and its derivative ‘exosomes’. Customization-driven, ‘gene-encoding stem cells’ literally load such as information-acquiring gene in cognitive error dementia, dopamine-producing gene in Parkinson’s disease, and myelinating gene in cerebral palsy.

It is said to be the most advanced alternative to the existing, but failed methods, and CEO Kim has successfully proved it in animal tests: he applied cognitive, dopamine, cell protective and regenerative, and tumor annihilation genes to animals suffering from dementia, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral infarction and tumor respectively, and has seen full recovery. Kim has obtained patents in 6 advanced countries for this world’s first functional gene-encoding stem cells.

Exosomes are nanoparticles containing functional molecules that contain hundreds to thousands of proteins including growth factors, micro-RNAs, and lipids. Stem cell derived functional protein is water soluble and it cannot break into walls of brain, skin and mucous membrane. Exosomes, on the other hand, when extracted without busting the exosome membranes, can effectively break through the walls and deliver functional particles to cure diseases. 

Normally, the amount of exosomes within stem cell culture medium is less than 0.5% which makes a simple extraction ineffective compared to stem cell injection. Designed Cells patented an exosome extraction method, on the other hand, makes it 50 to 100 times more than normal amount. With these innovative techniques, Kim and his team are busy preparing phase 1 human clinical trials by early 2022.

Rosé Blanche and Conté Coffee

Alongside the endeavor to cure incurable diseases, Designed Cells spare no efforts in improving skin troubles many people, especially babies, are suffering. <Rosé Blanche> is a functional cosmetic made of patented rich white rose activation demarcation good for whitening, anti-wrinkle, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions. 

“It contains complex of the two best roses for the skin found during our research on 30,000 kinds of roses” says Dr. Ehn-Kyoung Choi who led the research. “I never put cosmetics on my face but I had to do something to my atopy-troubled baby. < Rosé Blanche> is the very result of my 20 colleague researchers who know nothing but research.”

< Conté Coffee> also is a functional diet coffee that contains climbing red rose’s excellent function of keeping beneficial subcutaneous fat on the body while removing harmful abdominal fat. The aroma is rosy, and it is meaningful that Designed Cells has upgraded the prejudiced use of roses for cosmetics and fragrance by applying to functional coffee. < Conté Coffee> is set to create a buzz among coffee lovers around late this year.

Designed Stem Cells for Your Beloveds

The slogan ‘Designed Stem Cells for Your Beloveds’ is the driving force of Kim and his team. It means to embrace those who suffer from diseases and return them back to their families and normal life. 

Kim studied and obtained a doctorate at Seoul National University College of Veterinary Medicine. He worked as a senior researcher at Agency for Defense Development and is currently serving as a professor at Chungbuk National University College of Veterinary Medicine and as a visiting professor to University of British Columbia Hospital Canada. 

He has published 332 papers, and applied and/or obtained 30 patents home and abroad. www.designedcells.com