재생의학 기반 차세대 치료기법을 개발하려면 생물학, 재료과학, 생리학, 의학 및 공학을 포괄하는 날카로운 이해가 필요합니다. 따라서 제 연구실에서 관심 있게 수행하고 있는 연구분야는 아래와 같습니다.
Aim1: 조직재생을 위한 새로운 줄기세포 기반 치료제의 개발 연구
1) 환자 특이적 전분화능 줄기세포 (hPSCs) 및 중간엽 줄기세포 (MSCs)를 lineage-specific하게 in vitro에서 효과적으로 다양한 근골격 세포 (힘줄/골/연골/지방/근육조직) 및 인슐린 분비하는 베타세포로 분화할 수 있는 효율적인 원천 기술 개발
2) 생체모사 기능성 재료를 기반으로 이러한 줄기세포의 생체내 이식을 통해 조직재생의 효능을 극대화
3) FRET 바이오 센서와 세포 견인력 현미경 (traction force microscopy)을 사용하여 세포-세포 및 세포-기질 간 다양한 상호작용의 이해
Aim2: 역학적 전이 (mechanotransduction)에 기반한 줄기세포 미세환경과 다양한 질병 미세환경이 갖고 있는 여러 가지 특성들을 재현하기 위한 첨단 바이오 소재 개발 및 설계 (관심 질환: 익상편, 족세포 기능장애, 켈로이드 피부질환, 골관절염, 두경부암)
1) 3D 프린팅, 3D 용융-전기 방사 / 스프레이, soft lithography를 통한 미세 마이크로 패턴 제작 기술을 사용하여 줄기 세포의 운명결정, 새로운 공동배양 시스템 및 종양 미세환경 (TME)을 위한 생체모사 및 계층구조가 있는 하이드로 겔 기반의 3D 스캐폴드의 설계 및 제작
2) 고기능성 체외 질병모델 플랫폼을 organ-on-a-chip 모델 개발
3) 세포-세포 및 세포-매트릭스 상호 작용을 조절하는 세포 표면 공학을 기반으로 다양한 세포 기능 조절 및 생체 내 조직 재생에 대한 연구
Principal Investigator
Yongsung Hwang, Ph.D. Biography B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Korea M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering, UC San Diego, USA Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, UC San Diego, USA Postdoctoral Researcher, Bioengineering, UC San Diego, USA Assistant Professor, SIMS, Soonchunhyang University, Korea Associate Professor, SIMS, Soonchunhyang University, Korea Research Interest • Development of novel stem cell-based therapeutic for musculoskeletal tissue regeneration including teno-/osteo-/chondro-/adipo-/myogenesis • Understanding roles of dynamic cell-cell/cell-matrix interactions in lineage specification of human pluripotent stem cells and primary cells isolated from patients using traction force microscopy with FRET biosensors • Diciphering molecular mechanisms of mechanotransduction-mediated stem cell lineage commitment and tumor microenvironment-associated tumor growth and metastasis • Investigation of cell surface engineering-induced cell-cell/cell-matrix interactions and their roles in regulating various in vitro cellular functions and in vivo engraftment Researcher Professor Sung-Sik Hur, Ph.D. B.S., Materials Science, Seoul National Univ., Korea, 1995 M.S., Materials Science, Seoul National Univ., Korea, 1998 Ph.D., Bioengineering, UC San Diego, USA, 2007 Postdoctoral Researcher, Bioengineering, UC Irvine, USA, 2007 – 2008 Postdoctoral Researcher, Bioengineering, UC San Diego, USA, 2009 – 2013 Assistant Project Scientist, Bioengineering, UC San Diego, USA, 2013-2019 Research Professor, SIMS, Soonchunhyang University, Korea, 2019 – current His current research interest is to understand the roles of cell-matrix/cell-cell interactions on controlling the lineage-specific fate determination of human pluripotent stem cells into functional musculoskeletal progenitors and cancer progression and metastasis using Traction Force Microscopy (TFM). Postdoctoral Researcher Joohyun Kim, Ph.D. B.S., Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Gachon Univ., Korea, 2009 M.S., School of Dentistry, Kyungbook National Univ. , Korea, 2012 Ph.D., Gachon Advanced Institute for Health Science and Technology, Korea, 2020 Her current research interest is to understand the roles of tumor microenvironment, including multi-celllular components and insoluble extracellular matrix, in controlling the tumor growth and metastasis, focusing on mechanotransduction of head & neck cancer cells. George Augustine, Ph.D. B.S., Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Loyola College, Univ. of Madras, Chennai (India) M.S., Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India Ph.D., Anna University, Chennai, India Senior Research Fellow (SRF), Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute, Adyar, Chennai, India Research Scientist Jinhui Rhee, M.S. B.S. Life Science, Hoseo University, Republic of Korea M.S. Biochemistry, Hoseo University, Republic of Korea Jiwon Son, M.S. B.S. Department of Biomedical Science, Cha University, Republic of Korea M.S. College of Medicine, Korea University, Republic of Korea Graduate Students Yunhye Kim B.S., Department of Medical Biotechnology, Soonchunhyang University Her current Ph.D. research work focuses on understanding the roles of LMNA in chondrocyte de-differentiation and its application. Ji Hoon Jeong B.S., Department of Medical Biotechnology, Soonchunhyang University M.S., Department of integrated Biomedical Science, SIMS, Soonchunhyang University His current Ph.D. research work focuses on fate determination of human pluripotent stem cells through cell-matrix interaction as well as cell surface engineering. Laurensia Danis Anggradita B.S., Department of Biology, Atma Jaya Catholic Univ., Indoneisa Her current Ph.D. research work focuses on understanding molecular mechanism of keloid skin disorders and repitulation of 3D keloid skin microenvrionment using skin tissue-derived decellularized extracellular matrix as a 3D printable bioink. |