연구/산학
PKNU Research 1000
| Seung Yun Nam | Developed a convergent biofabrication technology | |||
| 작성자 | 대외홍보센터 | 작성일 | 2025-11-28 |
| 조회수 | 70 | ||
| Seung Yun Nam | Developed a convergent biofabrication technology | |||||
 |
대외홍보센터 |  |
2025-11-28 |  |
70 |
Joint Research with SNU Hospital on Artificial Esophagus Development
Pukyong National University (President Sang-hoon Bae) announced that a research team led by Professor Seung Yun Nam in the Department of Biomedical Engineering has developed an integrated biofabrication technology for artificial esophageal reconstruction, in collaboration with Professor Eun-Jae Chung’s team at Seoul National University Hospital.
Esophageal reconstruction is typically performed using gastric or colonic segments when the organ is severely damaged by malignancy, corrosive injury, or trauma. However, these autologous conduits often show mismatched mechanical properties, inflammatory reactions, poor tissue integration, and impaired peristaltic motion, frequently leading to postoperative complications.
To address these limitations, Professor Seung Yun Nam’s team developed a next-generation biomimetic artificial esophageal scaffold designed to recapitulate the hierarchical structure, mechanical behavior, and functional microenvironment of native esophageal tissue.
In this study, the team used electrospinning to fabricate highly elastic and durable polyurethane (PU) nanofibers as the primary structural framework of the scaffold. Additionally, embedded digital light processing (DLP)-based photopolymerization was employed to incorporate silk fibroin methacryloyl (Sil-MA) within the PU nanofiber network, thereby enhancing tensile strength, elastic modulus, and surface hydrophilicity. In a subsequent step, precision extrusion bioprinting was used to laminate a layer of decellularized esophageal extracellular matrix (EdECM) onto the construct, effectively reconstructing a tissue-specific microenvironment analogous to that of the native esophagus.
The resulting PU/Sil-MA/EdECM composite scaffold exhibited substantial improvements in both mechanical robustness and biological performance. The structure showed markedly enhanced tensile strength, elasticity, and surface wettability, leading to significantly increased stem cell adhesion, proliferation, and focal adhesion formation. In vitro studies further demonstrated superior smooth muscle and epithelial cell differentiation, critical for restoring esophageal motility.
In a rat model with a circumferential esophageal defect, the engineered scaffold showed excellent tissue integration, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, and robust regeneration of smooth muscle, epithelium, vasculature, and peripheral nerves. Contrast swallow studies and functional assessments confirmed recovery of peristaltic motion and stable luminal patency, highlighting the scaffold’s strong potential for future clinical translation.
Professor Nam stated, “This work is the first to recreate both the structural complexity and mechanical properties of the esophagus by combining electrospun PU, DLP-patterned Sil-MA, and ECM-based bioprinting. It represents a powerful fabrication strategy capable of engineering tissue-specific mechanical behavior and promoting coordinated regeneration in esophageal reconstruction.”
The research was published under the title “Integrated Biofabrication of Artificial Esophageal Scaffolds using Electrospinning, Embedded DLP, and Extrusion Techniques” in the online edition of Materials Today Bio (Impact Factor: 10.2, JCR Top 7.2%), one of the leading international journals in the field of biomaterials and regenerative medicine.
The study was supported by the Health Technology R&D Project of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (HI22C1323) and involved collaborative contributions with researchers at Seoul National University College of Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Inje University, and ATEMs.
[https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtbio.2025.102518]
