Incheon national university
RESEARCH
SBL's goal is to develop advanced biomaterials and biomedical devices for therapeutic applications through a multidisciplinary approach.
Fabrication of Multi-organ Culture Tool
A three-dimensional multi-organ culture platform has been developed to enhance the functions of the liver and pancreas through effective metabolic substrate transport based on convective transport and an organ-separated culture system. This study co-cultured liver and pancreatic tissue to analyze the mechanisms related to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
Engineering of Stem Cell Microenvironment Mimicking Device
Fabrication of a three-dimensional microfluidic chip that mimics the microphysiological environment and co-culture of multiple cell types to recapitulate cell-cell interactions and develop tissue modeling.
The 3D microfluidic chip was able to mimic crosstalk between subchondral bone and cartilage compared to 2D co-culture systems. By co-culturing osteocytes and chondrocytes derived from stem cells, modeling of osteochondral tissue model could be developed.
Development of Functional Biomaterials
We are conducting research using various co-culture system to create interconnected tissues such as vascularized pancreas and bone. These co-culture systems allow us to study mechanisms and perform drug screening, among other applications. By utilizing these systems, we aim to better understand cell interactions and improve the physiological relevance of our models for various biomedical applications.
Stem Cell Therapy Using Encapsulation Technology
The newly developed macroencapsulation device in our laboratory suppresses fibrous tissue formation by promoting the polarization of inflammatory macrophages into anti-inflammatory macrophages through surface treatment with an anti-inflammatory substance. Additionally, this effect improves beta cell performance by enabling more efficient material transport through the use of a 1000nm membrane pore, an extension from the existing 200-400nm pores.