Inbo Han

Current Position

2017. Feb

Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Spine center, CHA University Scholl of Medicine

2022. Mar

Vice Dean of Research, CHA University School of Medicine

 

Academic Experiences

2014. Feb

Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea, PhD

2010-2012

Research fellowship, Laboratory of Spinal Cord Injury & Stem Cell Biology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, USA

 

Professional Experiences

2022. Sep

Editor-in-Chief

2024. Mar

Vice Director, Advanced Medical Center, CHA Bundang Medical Center

2022. Apr

President, The Korean Society of Basic Neurosurgical Sciences

 

Presentation Topic

Effective Modulation of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress for Enhanced Regeneration of Intervertebral Discs Using 3D Porous Hybrid Protein Nanoscaffold

 

Abstract

Degeneration of fibrocartilaginous tissues is often associated with complex pro-inflammatory factors. These include reactive oxygen species (ROS), cell-free nucleic acids (cf-NAs), and epigenetic changes in immune cells. To effectively control this complex inflammatory signaling, it developed an all-in-one nanoscaffold-based 3D porous hybrid protein (3D-PHP) self-therapeutic strategy for treating intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. The 3D-PHP nanoscaffold is synthesized by introducing a novel nanomaterial-templated protein assembly (NTPA) strategy. 3D-PHP nanoscaffolds that avoid covalent modification of proteins demonstrate inflammatory stimuli-responsive drug release, disc-mimetic stiffness, and excellent biodegradability. Enzyme-like 2D nanosheets incorporated into nanoscaffolds further enabled robust scavenging of ROS and cf-NAs, reducing inflammation and enhancing the survival of disc cells under inflammatory stress in vitro. Implantation of 3D-PHP nanoscaffolds loaded with bromodomain extraterminal inhibitor (BETi) into a rat nucleotomy disc injury model effectively suppressed inflammation in vivo, thus promoting restoration of the extracellular matrix (ECM). The resulting regeneration of disc tissue facilitated long-term pain reduction. Therefore, self-therapeutic and epigenetic modulator-encapsulated hybrid protein nanoscaffold shows great promise as a novel approach to restore dysregulated inflammatory signaling and treat degenerative fibrocartilaginous diseases, including disc injuries, providing hope and relief to patients worldwide.

Keywords: 2D nanomaterials; 3D hybrid protein nanoscaffolds; epigenetic modification; inflammation; intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration; nanoscaffolds; oxidative stress; self-assembly.

 

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