Lei He

PhD student
Project description
The aim of this project is to combine bioceramic-based nanoparticles and 3-dimensional porous scaffolds to create a composite with bifunctional effects including anti-cancer and bone tissue regeneration for curing bone defects caused by tumor tissues. Bone, unfortunately, due to its special microenvironment, can be induced to cause tumor mutation (primary bone tumor) and is also the most favored organ for being metastasizing by other cancer such as tumors in breast, prostate, thyroid, lung, and kidney to form a secondary bone tumor. Current treatments of anti-cancer in bone tissue in clinic mainly comprises surgical removal and radio/chemotherapy, which is being easily to influence the regeneration of normal bone cells due to the indiscriminate radio/chemical forces and also generally difficult to completely eradicate bone tumor cells. Meanwhile, large bone defects cause by surgical intervention will also be harmful to the recovery of bone tissue. Therefore, creating a complex composite that possesses both anticancer and bone tissue regeneration effects is of great significance. For one part, we choose mesoporous silica as a based nanoparticle (MSNs), loading delivery ions (i.e. selenium) and decorating pore blocking layer (pH-responsive layer) and surface targeted ligands to create a ion targeted delivery nanoparticle system (TDNS). For another part, 3D printing technique will be used to manufacture 3D bioceramic porous scaffolds (i.e. tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite) that will be then modified and endowed functions which can increase recruitment, proliferation, migration and differentiation of bone tissue cells.