Research
The Jae Young Lee's lab are eager for pioneering in biomaterials and tissue engineering fields. Our approach has been inspired by the natural tissue environments and elaborate for developing functional biomaterials mainly for bioelectronics and tissue engineering scaffolds.
The Biomimetic Materials Laboratory (BML) is dedicated to developing tissue engineering technologies that can modulate cellular functions. Our functional biomaterials is designed to be 'therapeutic biomaterials' capable of highly interacting with living cells and tissues in physical, mechanical, biochemical, and electrical fashions. We investigate the influences of these environmental parameters and incorporate them into materials to create effective biomaterials exhibiting novel therapeutic cues.
Current Research Projects
Surface modification of implantable bio-electrodes for the improvement of biocompatibility
Bioelectrodes have been widely used for biosensor, neural probes, and other bio-electronic applications for electrical signal communications with living systems, such as recording or/and stimulation. However, current bio-electrodes consist of metal and other conducting materials, leading severe foreign body response and detrimental loss of electrical sensitivity. To address these critical issues, we are studying surface modification of bioelectrodes by passivating biocompatible polymers (e.g., hyaluronic acid) and finely modulating surface nano-features. We have focused on creation of biomimetic interfaces where non-specific adsorption of protens/cells and inflammatory immune reactions can be attenuated ensuring high sensitivy signal transmission.
2. Conductive hydrogels for tissue engineering
Electro-activity of biomaterials have garnered great attention as new materials enabling electrical communications with cells. Conventional conductive materials, such as metals or metal oxides, have enomously high stiffness which causes serious mechanical mismatch with soft living tissues. Our research groups have focused on reduced graphene oxide-incorporated hydrogels. Our conductive materials exhibit characteristics similar to tissues in terms of electrical conductivity and elasticity. We successfully demonstrated that these conductive hydrogels induced regeneration of injured sciatic peripheral nerve and muscle tissues.
3. Stem cell engineering and delivery
Stem cell transplantation are a promising approach to regenerate damages or injured tissues. However, stem cell-based therapy is still of a great challenge, because of the lack of poor survival of the implanted stem cells, non-specific differentiation in vivo, and exposure to high oxidative stresses. We are developing and employing human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) encapsulation in micro-sized hydrogels using an electro-spraying. These approaches allow for higher viability and resistance to highly oxidative stresses. Also, we utilize this encapsulated hMSCs to evaluate stem cell transplantation efficiency in vivo. We demonstrated that hMSCs encapsulated in extracellular matrix (ECM)-derived peptide modified alginate hydrogels are effective for the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI). In addition, these encapsulation systems are under investigation of stem cell expansion as efficient scalable processes.
4. Development of bioinks for 3D cell printing
Bioprinting, which refers the 3D printing of living cells with biomaterials, enables the production of artificial organs and therapeutic tissue constructs. Currently, bioinks are essential for the success of bioprining. Our group elaborate to develop the novel bioinks using sythethic and natural polymer-based hydrogels, such as alginate, gelatin, etc. Based on the cell sources and target applications, we design the bioinks and evaluate their performances in terms of printability, stability, and bioactivities. We also develop nano-material-based additives to enhance the delivery of therapeutic substances and stimulate the encapsulated stem cells. We have successfully demonstrated the utilities and effectiveness of various bioinks. Bioprining is in collaboration of Dr Su A Park's lab in KIMM (Korean Institute of Machinary and Materials, Daejeon, Korea).
5. Cardiac patches
Cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction (MI), are one of the major causes leading to death nowdays. However, there is no effective treatment except heart transplantation. Our group have attempted to devise new biomaterial-based approaches for MI treatment. Recently, we have focused on hydrogel-cardiac patches, which stably support heart functions and induce regreneration of the infarcted hearts. Reseach topics include multiple new fuctions to hydrogel patches, including adhesiveness, sustained drug delivery, and electrical conductance. This topic is in collaboration of Prof Youngkeun Ahn's lab in Chonnam National University Hospital.