- HEMOHIM
Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI)’s Development Story
Healthy Blood Cells Must Be Produced to Improve Immunity
Sung-ki Cho, Ph.D., Zoology (Immunobiology)
Dr. Cho's concerns about the immune system grew while working at the Korea Cancer Center Hospital. He particularly began his research after witnessing patients who received chemotherapy with radiation struggling with weakened immunity.
- What is the meaning of HemoHIM?
- “HemoHIM means a product that can help with the functions of hematopoiesis, immunity, and modulation. I initially thought of the name HIM, but it was already registered. After considerable thought, I added the word ‘Hemo’ to ‘HIM’ to emphasize the hematopoiesis function.”
- What led you to develop HemoHIM?
- “While working at the Korea Cancer Center Hospital, I saw patients receiving chemotherapy who often struggled with issues other than cancer due to weakened immunity. This made me realize that not only cancer patients but also people with weak bodies could suffer from weakened immunity. It started with a simple question, but eventually led to the development of an immunity-boosting product, believing it would be helpful for people in general.”
- Which function did you pay more attention to, hematopoiesis or immunity?
- “We primarily focused on developing a product to help improve immunity. However, the foundation of the immune system lies in hematopoiesis. Only when healthy blood cells are produced properly can immunity be improved. That's why we also paid attention to the hematopoietic function.”
- Is there a reason why you insisted on medicinal herbs such as Angelica Gigas, Cnidium Officinale, and Paeonia Japonica as ingredients for HemoHIM?
- “Since HemoHIM was targeting people with weakened immunity and poor conditions, we had to find non-toxic ingredients. While developing HemoHIM, we tested 42 herbal ingredients and medicinal herbs one by one, focusing on finding the best combination of medicinal herbs that could generate a synergistic effect. We believed that consuming foods all at once can be less effective or toxic, which ultimately helped us find the ingredients such as Angelica Gigas, Cnidium Officinale, and Paeonia Japonica.”
Manuscript excerpt: The Economist
