Biomedical Chemical Engineering Professor Lee Hyeon's Joint Research Team Simultaneously Treats Osteosarcoma and Promotes Bone Regeneration.

- Korea University and Hanyang University joint research developed customized teragenative biomaterials with osteosarcoma treatment and regenerative power.

- Research results published in the internationally renowned academic journal 'Advanced Functional Materials (IF:18.5, JCR:4.2%)'

*Photo Description: The Catholic University of Korea's research team developed a new concept biomaterial, 'Teragenative Biomaterial' that simultaneously treats bone tissue and promotes regeneration through joint research with the research teams from Korea University and Hanyang University.

 The Catholic University of Korea's (President Won Jong-cheol) Biomedical Chemical Engineering Professor Lee Hyeon and Han Ki-nam’s research team developed a customized biomaterial ‘Thera-generative biomaterial’ that simultaneously treats osteosarcoma and promotes bone regeneration through joint research with Professor Kang Hee-min of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering of Korea University and Professor Jeong Hyeon-do of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering of Hanyang University.

 Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor that occurs when bones grow rapidly. It usually occurs in children or adolescents, and cancer cells easily metastasize to the lungs or liver through the blood, so the recurrence rate is high. However, the drug treatment methods currently in use are known to have a small residual effect in the body, make it difficult to accurately deliver the drug to the necessary location, and are also known to have a high risk of drug resistance. Even when removing the tumor through osteosarcoma surgery, it is very difficult to completely remove cancer cells and the risk of external infection is high, making treatment difficult.

 To overcome the limitations of existing osteosarcoma treatments, the Catholic University research team of Lee Hyun and Han Ki-nam set out to develop a biomaterial that fills the site after osteosarcoma removal surgery while simultaneously suppressing cancer recurrence and infection with external stimuli and promoting bone regeneration.

 The research team 3D printed a biomaterial filament made by mixing magnesium particles (nMg) coated with hydroxyapatite (HAp), a component of human bone with excellent tissue regeneration ability, in the form of nanospikes, with a biodegradable polymer, PLA (polylactic acid). Afterwards, they added DNA (aDNA) that was fused with DNA preparation and polydopamine to increase the speed of bone regeneration, completing a new concept, therageneratorative biomaterial. Therageneratorative is a compound word of Thera (therapy) and generative (regenerative).

 As a result of the experiment, the therageneratorative biomaterial was shown to be excellent in not only treating osteosarcoma but also enhancing bone regeneration ability. Thanks to the nMg particles with excellent physical strength and photothermal properties, the photothermal therapy showed high cancer cell death and antibacterial effects, and tumor formation inhibition performance. In experiments using osteoblasts and vascular endothelial cells, the theragenative biomaterial showed 250% higher tissue regeneration performance than other experimental groups. In animal experiments, the degree of new bone formation was significantly improved, and the expression of bone tissue formation-related factors (BMP-2, ALP, OCN), vascular regeneration factors (CD31), and immune response factors (TGF-β) was significantly increased.

 The results of this study were published in the internationally renowned academic journal in the field of materials and applications, ‘Advanced Functional Materials (IF: 18.5, JCR: 4.2%), and were recognized for their excellence.

 Biomedical Chemical Engineering Professor Lee Hyeon of The Catholic University of Korea said, “We have developed a teragenative biomaterial that can simultaneously secure treatment and regeneration capabilities, overcoming the limitations of existing biomaterials that were used for the treatment and regeneration of osteosarcoma separately,” and “If the biomaterial developed this time is actually applied to clinical practice, it is expected to greatly reduce the burden on patients and help reduce social medical costs.”

 Meanwhile, this study was conducted with the support of the National Research Foundation of Korea’s Creative Challenge Research Support Project, the Individual Basic Research Support Project, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ Aquaculture Meat Production Technology Development Project, and the Ministry of Science and ICT’s and the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Inter-Ministerial Regenerative Medical Technology Development Project.