Jae Ho Shim
Medicinal chemist in Hyeon Soo Kim's group at the Department of Anatomy, Korea University College of Medicine, who designs small molecules, and first author of the study of the D-leucine prodrug DLMEH that switches on mTORC1 through Sestrin2
Department of Anatomy, Korea University College of Medicine (Hyeon Soo Kim group, papers 2021–2026)
Muscle builds protein when mTORC1, the growth-control complex, is switched on, and the amino acid leucine is one of its main triggers. Leucine works by binding a sensor protein called Sestrin2, which then lets go of the brake on mTORC1. In the Atlas study SHIM2026, Shim and colleagues made DLMEH, a modified form of D-leucine (the mirror-image form of normal leucine) designed as a prodrug, a compound the body converts into the active form. DLMEH bound Sestrin2 about as tightly as ordinary leucine and switched on mTORC1 only when Sestrin2 was present.
In human muscle cells grown in a dish, DLMEH restored protein production. In rats whose muscles were wasted by the steroid dexamethasone, it preserved muscle mass, grip strength and endurance. The rat model mimics steroid-induced muscle loss, not age-related sarcopenia, and no human trial has been done.
On PubMed, Shim's papers come from the Department of Anatomy at Korea University College of Medicine with Hyeon Soo Kim and are mostly chemistry: a 2021 paper on a catalyst that builds molecules with a chosen handedness, and a 2026 paper on a new oral pain-relief compound that blocks the Nav1.7 sodium channel in nerve cells. Rank could not be confirmed.
Milestones in the Atlas
A selection, not a full bibliography: only papers that meet the Atlas inclusion criteria.
| Year | Evidence | Study |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | A | D-Amino Acid Prodrug DLMEH Activates mTORC1 via Sestrin2 to Restore Muscle Protein Synthesis in Sarcopenia. SHIM2026 First author: designed the D-leucine prodrug DLMEH and showed it activates mTORC1 through Sestrin2, restoring protein synthesis in human muscle cells and preserving muscle in steroid-treated rats. |
Co-authors in the Atlas 1
People with a profile here who share at least one study with Jae Ho Shim.
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- Hyeon Soo Kim Muscle biologist working on muscle-secreted factors and treatments for sarcopenia and muscle wasting, and senior author of a study on a leucine-like drug that activates mTORC1 through Sestrin2
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