Publications

2025

• Lim MY, Park S, Joo Y-H, Kim SE, Ham MH, Kim TS, Kwak K, Kim SJ, Lee JC, Park SH, Kim HY. (2025) Piezo1-mediated mechanotransduction regulates the translational activity, function and lung pathogenicity of group 2 innate lymphoid cells. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2025 Aug 21;10(1):269.

• Kim H, Hwang I, Seo J, Kim C, Choi IJ, Kang M, Rha MS, Hong Y, Kim J, Baek SK, Park JH, Cho HJ, Kwak K. Dissolving microneedle for maintaining the Integrity of HPV virus-Like particles enabling durable sterile protection across various mucosal tissues. Adv Healthc Mater. PMID: 40635240.

• Lee SM, Lee J, Kim DI, Avila JP, Nakaya H, Kwak K, Kim EH. Emulsion adjuvant-induced uric acid release modulates optimal immunogenicity by targeting dendritic cells and B cells. NPJ Vaccines. 2025 Apr 16;10(1):72. doi: 10.1038/s41541-025-01130-z. PMID: 40240376; PMCID: PMC12003798.

• Torgbor C, Sohn H, Dizon BLP, Mutic EC, George R, Kwak K, Akkaya M, Ulker EB, Traver M, Brzostowski J, Galloway DA, Thompson CD, Çuburu N, Schiller JT, Pierce SK. In the activation of HPV-specific human B cells HPV-VLP vaccines mimic membrane-associated antigens. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Mar 11;122(10):e2414514122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2414514122. Epub 2025 Mar 3. PMID: 40030014; PMCID: PMC11912367.

• Song MS, Sim HJ, Eun SH, Jung MK, Hwang SJ, Ham MH, Kwak K, Lee HJ, Kim JY, Jang DG, Chung HC, Shin DH, Kim YJ, Noh SH, Mun JY, Lee JM, Lee MG. (2025) Tubular ER structures shaped by ER-phagy receptors engage in stress-induced Golgi bypass. Dev Cell. 2025 Feb 4:S1534-5807(25)00031-0.

2024

• Y Hong, K Kwak. (2024) Both sides now: evolutionary traits of antigens and B cells in tolerance and activation. Frontiers inImmunology 15, 1456220

• S Yoo, SC Jung, K Kwak, JS Kim. (2024) The Role of Prebiotics in Modulating Gut Microbiota: Implications for Human Health. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25 (9), 4834

• Lee Y, Kim H, Lee E, Hahn H, Heo Y, Jang DM, Kwak K, Kim HJ, Kim HS. Structural insights into N-terminal methionine cleavage by the human mitochondrial methionine aminopeptidase, MetAP1D. Sci Rep. 2023 Dec 15;13(1):22326. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-49332-6. PMID: 38102161; PMCID: PMC10724148.

2023

• Kwak K*, Sohn H*, George R, Torgbor C, Manzella-Lapeira J, Brzostowski J and Pierce SK. (2023) B cell responses to membrane-presentated antigens require the function of the mechanosensitive cation channel Piezo1. Science signaling 16 (804), eabq5096

2022

• Notario GR, Kwak K. (2022) Increased B cell understanding puts improved vaccine platforms just over the horizon. Immune Netw., 10.4110/in.2022.22.e47.

2020

• Ambegaonkar AA, Kwak K, Sohn H, Manzella-Lapeira J, Brzostowski J, Pierce SK. (2020) Expression of inhibitory receptors by B cells in chronic human infectious diseases restricts responses to membrane-associated antigens. Sci Adv., 10.1126/sciadv.aba6493

2019

• Akkaya M, Kwak K, Pierce SK. (2019) B cell memory: building two walls of protection against pathogens. Nat Rev Immunol., 10.1038/s41577-019-0244-2.

• Kwak K, Akkaya M, Pierce SK. (2019) B cell signaling in context. Nat Immunol., 10.1038/s41590-019-0427-9.

2018

• Kwak K, Quizon N, Sohn H, Saniee A, Manzella-Lapeira J, Holla P, Brzostowski J, Lu J, Xie H, Xu C,Spillane KM, Tolar P, Pierce SK. (2018) Intrinsic properties of human germinal center B cells set antigen affinity thresholds. Sci Immunol., 10.1126/sciimmunol.aau6598.

• Wang JW, Wu WH, Huang TC, Wong M, Kwak K, Ozato K, Hung CF, Roden RBS. (2018) Roles of Fc domain and exudation in L2 antibody-mediated protection against human papillomavirus. J Virol., :10.1128/JVI.00572-18.

2015

• Wang JW, Matsui K, Pan Y, Kwak K, Peng S, Kemp T, Pinto L, Roden RB. (2015) Production of furin-cleaved papillomavirus pseudovirions and their use for in vitro neutralization assays of L1- or L2-specific antibodies. Curr Protoc Micobiol., 3;38:14B.5. 1-26. 

• Wang JW, Jagu S, Wu WH, Viscidi RP, Macgregor-Das A, Fogel JM, Kwak K, Daayana S, Kitchener H, Stern PL, Gravitt PE, Trimble CL, Roden RB. (2015) Seroepidemiology of human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) L2 and generation of L2-Specific human chimeric monoclonal antibodies. Clin Vaccine Immunol., 22(7):806-16.

2014

• Kwak K, Jiang R, Wang JW, Jagu S, Kirnbauer R, Roden RB. (2014). Impact of inhibitors and L2 antibodies upon the infectivity of diverse alpha and beta human papillomavirus types. PLoS One., 9(5):e97232.

• Wang JW, Jagu S, Kwak K, Wang C, Peng S, Kirnbauer R, Richard RB. (2014). Preparation and properties of a papillomavirus infectious intermediate and its utility for neutralization studies. Virology., 449:304-16.

2013

• Schellenbacher C, Kwak K, Fink D, Shafti-Keramat S, Huber B, Jindra C, Faust H, Dillner J, Roden RB, Kirnbauer R. (2013). Efficacy of RG1-VLP vaccination against infections with genital and cutaneous human papillomaviruses. J Invest Dermatol., 133(12):2706-13.

• Kwak K, Jiang R, Jagu S, Wang JW, Wang C, Christensen ND, Roden RB. (2013). Multivalent human papillomavirus L1 DNA vaccination utilizing electroporation. PLoS One., 8(3):e60507.

• Jagu S, Kwak K, Schiller JT, Lowy DR, Kleanthous H, Kalnin K, Wang C, Wang HK, Chow LT, Huh WK, Jaganathan KS, Chivukula SV, Roden RB. (2013). Phylogenetic considerations in designing a broadly protective multimeric L2 vaccine. J Virol., 87(11):6127-36.

• Jagu S, Kwak K, Karanam B, Huh WK, Damotharan V, Chivukula SV, Roden RB. (2013). Optimization of multimeric human papillomavirus L2 vaccines. PLoS One., 8(1):e55538.

2012

• Handisurya A, Day PM, Thompson CD, Buck CB, Kwak K, Roden RB, Lowy DR, Schiller JT. (2012). Murine skin and vaginal mucosa are similarly susceptible to infection by pseudovirions of different papillomavirus classifications and species. Virology., 433(2):385-94.

• Mamoor S, Onder Z, Karanam B, Kwak K, Bordeaux J, Crosby L, Roden RB, Moroianu J. (2012). The high risk HPV16 L2 minor capsid protein has multiple transport signals that mediate its nucleocytoplasmic traffic. Virology., 422(2):413-24.

2011

• Wu WH, Gersch E, Kwak K, Jagu S, Karanam B, Huh WK, Garcea RL, Roden RB. (2011). Capsomer vaccines protect mice from vaginal challenge with human papillomavirus. PLoS One., 6(11):e27141.

• Jagu S, Malandro N, Kwak K, Yuan H, Schlegel R, Palmer KE, Huh WK, Campo MS, Roden RB. (2011). A multimeric L2 vaccine for prevention of animal papillomavirus infections. Virology., 420(1):43-50.

• Kwak K, Yemelyanova A, Roden RB. (2011). Prevention of cancer by prophylactic human papillomavirus vaccines. Curr Opin Immunol., 23(2):244-51.

2010

• Jagu S, Kwak K, Garcea RL, Roden RB. (2010). Vaccination with multimeric L2 fusion protein and L1 VLP or capsomeres to broaden protection against HPV infection. Vaccine., 28(28):4478-86.