진학프로석·박사 채용 접수 플랫폼

A description of the job (e.g. Member of team of engineers assigned to Accounting Department) max 3000 characters

Project title:

Injectable and RNA-releasing nanofibrous microcarriers for intervertebral disc regeneration

Project description:

Low back pain affects up to 80% of people at some point, with 40% of chronic cases linked to IVD degeneration. Treatment options range from analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs to physiotherapy and surgery, including NP removal or vertebral fusion.

This project aims to develop an injectable hydrogel-based nanofibrous system serving as a scaffold for NP cells, an RNA delivery vehicle, and an NP crack filler in degenerated IVDs. This multifunctional material could aid IVD height reconstruction and regeneration by integrating tissue engineering and RNA therapy. The project involves three stages: fabricating porous nanofibrous microscaffolds with high water absorption, developing a non-viral vector delivery system for uniform nanoparticle loading in nanofibers, and evaluating the miRNA release and anti-apoptosis/inflammation performance of these microscaffolds in vitro.

The anticipated outcome is a significant advance in IVD regeneration, potentially leading to minimally invasive therapies administered less frequently than current painkiller regimens. The project's multifunctional biomaterials could enhance existing and future therapies for IVD degeneration, offering new opportunities for tissue healing through combined drug delivery mechanisms using hydrogels, nanofibers, and miRNA.