Pukyong National University

Professor Sei-Jung Lee’s Team Develops a Next-Generation Colon-Targeted Drug Delivery Technology for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Pukyong National University (President Baesang Hoon) announced that the research team led by Professor Sei-Jung Lee from the Division of Smart Healthcare, Major in Human Bio-Convergence, has developed a next-generation oral drug delivery system that selectively delivers medication to inflamed regions of the colon for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Professor Lee conducted this collaborative research with Professor Changhyung Choi from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Yeungnam University. The study was published in the February issue of Materials Today Bio (Impact Factor 10.2).

The research team focused on pentoxifylline, a drug widely used to improve blood circulation, which is known to possess anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. Despite its therapeutic potential, conventional oral administration has limited its application in colitis treatment because the drug is either degraded in the stomach or rapidly eliminated from the body before reaching the colon. To overcome these limitations, the team developed a pH-responsive microcapsule system encapsulating pentoxifylline in hair-thin particles. The capsules remain stable under the highly acidic gastric environment but swell and release the drug selectively under neutral pH conditions corresponding to the colon. This targeted delivery approach enables the drug to remain longer at inflamed sites in the colon while minimizing systemic distribution. As a result, therapeutic efficacy was significantly enhanced even at lower doses. In animal models of colitis, treatment with the microcapsule system markedly improved symptoms such as body weight loss, diarrhea, and colon shortening. Histological analysis further demonstrated substantial reductions in tissue damage and inflammatory responses. Additionally, the treatment helped restore gut microbiota composition toward normal levels.

Ms. Ji-yeon Park, a second-year master’s student in the Department of Human Bio-Convergence, served as the first author and played a leading role in conducting the experiments and data analysis. She stated, “With the guidance of my advisor and the support of our lab members, I was able to successfully complete this research. I hope this technology will ultimately contribute to effective therapeutic strategies for patients with colitis.”

Professor Lee commented, “Since inflammatory bowel disease requires long-term management, it is essential to develop delivery technologies that ensure drugs act precisely where they are needed. This study demonstrates a new therapeutic potential for an existing drug.” He added, “We will continue advancing microcapsule- and microneedle-based drug delivery platforms to develop innovative treatments for refractory inflammatory diseases.”

Meanwhile, Professor Lee’s research team is actively pursuing next-generation biopharmaceutical development based on advanced drug delivery technologies and fostering interdisciplinary research and training in the field.