Ki-Taek Lim

Kangwon National University · Department of Biosystems Engineering

Dynamic tracking of cell migration during tissue regeneration remains challenging owing to imaging techniques that require sophisticated devices, are often lethal to healthy tissues. Herein, we developed a 3D printable non-invasive polymeric hydrogel based on 2,2,6,6-(tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl) oxyl (TEMPO)-oxidized nanocellulose (T-CNCs) and carbo...

Macrophage-assisted immunomodulation is an alternative strategy in tissue engineering, wherein the interplay between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory macrophage cells and body cells determines the fate of healing or inflammation. Although several reports have demonstrated that tissue regeneration depends on spatial and temporal regulation of...

Transparent hydrogels have found increasing applications in wearable electronics, printable devices, and tissue engineering. Integrating desired properties, such as conductivity, mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and sensitivity, in one hydrogel remains challenging. To address these challenges, multifunctional hydrogels of methacrylate chitosa...

Pulsatile pressure assists early osteogenesis evaluation onto a 3D-printed soft hydrogel. Article 2202163 by Ki-Taek Lim and co-workers demonstrates the use of short-term pressure stimulation and its effect on proliferation, radical scavenging, and osteogenesis of stem cells. The results highlight the transcriptomic changes in stem cells toward bon...

One of the significant challenges in bone tissue engineering (BTE) is the healing of traumatic tissue defects which requires longer time to recover owing to the recruitment of local infection and delayed angiogenesis. Various strategies, such as hydrogel dressings, growth factors delivery, and stem cell therapy has been shown potential alternative...

In recent years, three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting of conductive hydrogels has made significant progress in the fabrication of high-resolution biomimetic structures with gradual complexity. However, the lack of an effective cross-linking strategy, ideal shear-thinning, appropriate yield strength, and higher print fidelity with excellent biofunctio...

Biomimetic soft hydrogels used in bone tissue engineering frequently produce unsatisfactory outcomes. Here, we investigated how human bone‐marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) differentiated into early osteoblasts on remarkably soft three‐dimensional (3D) hydrogel (70 ± 0.00049 Pa). Specifically, hBMSCs seeded onto cellulose nanocrystals...

Tissues are made up of cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) which surrounds them. These cells and tissues are actively adaptable to enduring significant stress that occurs in daily life. This astonishing mechanical stress develops due to the interaction between the live cells and the non-living ECM. Cells in the matrix microenvironment can sens...

The development of multifunctional wearable electronic devices has received considerable attention because of their attractive applications. However, integrating multifunctional abilities into one component remains a challenge. To address this, we have developed a tannic acid-functionalized spherical nanocellulose/polyvinyl alcohol composite hydrog...

Nanocellulose application has been increasing owing to its appealing physicochemical properties. Monitoring of the crystallinity, surface topography, and reactivity of this high-aspect-ratio nanomaterial is crucial for efficient tissue engineering. Controlling macrophage polarization phenotype remains a challenge in regenerative medicine and tissue...

The development of lab-on-a-chip technology is regarded as one of the most potent and reliable technologies for rapid and early detection of the pathogen with portable and on-site detection devices, the so-called point-of-care (PoC) detection systems. These are essentially easy to handle and cheap and offer rapid sample-to-answer results to nontech...

Rapid progress in biomedical engineering has allowed the design of nanoscale biomolecular nanodevices that act as smart nanobots. The realization of nanometer-sized robots assembled from biomolecules is one of the goals of targeted drug delivery and therapy. Numerous self-propelling nanobots capable of intrinsic navigation in biological fluids with...

Recently, additive manufacturing or 3D printing has gained enormous attention in developing nanorobots and microswimmers for biomedical advancement. 3D printing allows the translation of computer-aided designs into accurate 3D models through the layer-by-layer deposition method. Various printing methods, such as stereolithography (SLA), inkjet, las...

Polymer nanohybrid-based smart materials are considered promising platforms for targeted drug delivery and wound healing management. These systems have advantages over conventional systems where precise drug delivery and improved wound healing are required. Synthetic and naturally derived polymers with different nanomaterials are often utilized to...

Photothermal therapy using an ablation agent to generate enough heat under near-infrared light irradiation has been recognized as one of the most promising treatments in curing various ailments. As the normal cells have higher heat tolerance, thus upon increased temperature, the cancer cells and bacteria in wounds can be killed, avoiding any side e...

Nanosystem is structured at or below the micrometer range, made of assemblies of nanoscale components with individual dimensions ranging between 1 and 100 nm. “Nanorobotics and nanodiagnostics” is a new generation of biohybrid that translates fundamental biological principles into engineering design rules to create biorobots that perform like natur...

Nanotechnology offers various applications in disciplines such as nanomedicine, diagnostics, food packaging, and energy. It provides a platform for fabricating materials with enhanced capabilities and multiple designs on a nanoscale. Nanorobots are basically a subset of nanotechnology concerned with designing and constructing devices at the atomic,...

The microfluidic and lab-on-a-chip (LoC) devices are promising for disease modeling and drug screening. New bio-imaging agents that permit multiple imaging and therapeutic applications can lead to more accurate diagnosis and a better understanding of local diseased tissue. The spectroscopic properties of nanomaterials, such as carbon dots, can be c...

Presently, efficient protection from bacterial infections is considered a potential threat owing to the raise of multidrug resistant bacterial phenotypes. Hence, there is an urgent requirement to develop alternative strategies for eliminating bacterial infections. In this regard, near infra-red (NIR) responsive photothermal agents (PTAs) has receiv...

Fabrication of multifunctional hemostats is indispensable against chronic blood loss and accelerated wound healing. Various hemostatic materials that aid wound repair or rapid tissue regeneration has been developed in the last 5 years. This review provides an overview of the three-dimensional (3D) hemostatic platforms designed through the latest te...

Little progress has been achieved on the synthesis of hydrophilic carbon dots (CDs), derived from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, as an excellent photothermal agent. In this study, a strategy was developed to synthesize highly photoluminescent greenish-yellow emissive CDs based on nitration followed by hydrothermal carbonization of the polycyclic...

The conversion of liquid resin into solid structures upon exposure to light of a specific wavelength is known as photopolymerization or photo‐curable 3D printing. In recent years, photopolymerization‐based 3D printing has gained enormous attention in tissue engineering for constructing highly complex and precise tissue structures. Due to the econom...

Lab-grown bovine meat analogues are emerging alternatives to animal sacrifices for cultured meat production. The most challenging aspect of the production process is the rapid proliferation of cells and establishment of the desired 3D structure for mass production. In this study, we developed a direct ink writing-based 3D-bioprinted meat culture pl...

Plants are anatomically and physiologically different from humans and animals; however, there are several possibilities to utilize the unique structures and physiological systems of plants and adapt them to new emerging technologies through a strategic biomimetic approach. Moreover, plants provide safe and sustainable results that can potentially s...

The demand of multifunctional hydrogels has been significantly increased to develop wearable strain-sensing devices. However, integrating all desired properties into one component is still challenging. To address this, we developed polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/polydopamine functionalized carbon dots (PDA@CDs) hydrogels for strain sensing application. Th...

Cellulose is the most venerable and essential natural polymer on the planet and is drawing greater attention in the form of nanocellulose, considered an innovative and influential material in the biomedical field. Because of its exceptional physicochemical characteristics, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and high mechanical strength, nanocellul...

Upregulation of certain enzymes, such as collagenase, tyrosinase, and elastase, is triggered by several extrinsic environmental factors, such as temperature, UV radiation, humidity, and stress, and leads to elasticity loss and skin pigmentation. Herein, dual-emissive polyaromatic carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with abundant phenolic moieties, that is g...

Titanium-dioxide nanotubes (TNTs) were fabricated by anodic oxidation of titanium (Ti) substrate and loaded with ciprofloxacin. A thin layer of Poly Lactic-co-Glycolic Acid (PLGA) was coated on top of the drug-loaded TNTs at various thicknesses. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) was used to characterize the developed substrate. Th...

A strategy for the processing of photoluminescence emission tunable multicolor carbon quantum dots has been adopted based on the controllable acidic strength [different ratio mixtures of sulfuric and phosphoric acids (S:P)] using a single polyphenolic precursor. 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene, a three-fold symmetric (C3h symmetry) triangulogen bearing –OH...

This cover describes the development of two-photon excitable carbon quantum dots that can be used for long-term bioimaging and drug delivery for synergistic tumor therapy. The proposed nanocarrier system is easy to make and could be used as a real-time in vivo tracker for tumor monitoring.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells usually isolated from bone marrow, endometrium, adipose tissues, skin, and dental pulp. MSCs played a crucial role in regenerative therapy and have been introduced as an interdisciplinary field between cell biology and material science. Recently, MSCs have been widely explored for their applicatio...

This study was focused on utilizing the magneto-responsiveness of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) in an alginate-silk fibroin (ASF) matrix under a low-strength (0.28 T) magnetic field (MF) for fabrication of a magnetically aligned, anisotropic, three-dimensional wound healing scaffold. The effect of the MF on three different concentrations of CNCs (0...

Natural calcium phosphate cements (CPCs) derived from sintered animal bone have been investigated to treat bone defects, but their low mechanical strength remains a critical limitation. Graphene improves the mechanical properties of scaffolds and promotes higher osteoinduction. To this end, reduced graphene oxide-incorporated natural calcium phosph...

Cellulose nanomaterials have received significant interest due to their superior physicochemical properties and biocompatibility. The nanomaterials-based hydrogel patches are widely explored for skin regeneration. However, the injectability and adhesiveness of the hydrogels are crucial challenges for tissue engineering applications. To overcome the...

Cellulose nanomaterials have received significant interest due to their superior physicochemical properties and biocompatibility. The nanomaterials-based hydrogel patches are widely explored for skin regeneration. However, the injectability and adhesiveness of the hydrogels are crucial challenges for tissue engineering applications. To overcome the...

Long-term dynamic tracking of cells with theranostics properties remains challenging due to difficulty in preparing and delivering drugs by the probes. Herein, we developed a highly fluorescent one- and two-photon (OP and TP) excitable polyphenolic carbon quantum dots (CQDs) for excellent membrane-targeting and drug delivery properties for synergis...

Biopolymers-induced immune microenvironment exhibited prominent effects on bone regeneration. Osteo-immunomodulatory responses of cellulose nanoparticles incorporated chitosan hydrogel scaffolds have not yet been reported. The objective of this study was to monitor the synergistic effects of silk fibroin and cellulose nanoparticles on the immune-mo...

Biopolymers-induced immune microenvironment exhibited prominent effects on bone regeneration. Osteo-immunomodulatory responses of cellulose nanoparticles incorporated chitosan hydrogel scaffolds have not yet been reported. The objective of this study was to monitor the synergistic effects of silk fibroin and cellulose nanoparticles on the immune-mo...

Microfluidic platforms gain popularity in biomedical research due to their attractive inherent features, especially in nanomaterials synthesis. This review critically evaluates the current state of the controlled synthesis of nanomaterials using microfluidic devices. We describe nanomaterials' screening in microfluidics, which is very relevant for...

Biocompatible nanomaterials have attracted enormous interest for biomedical applications. Carbonaceous materials, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), have been widely explored in wound healing and other applications because of their superior physicochemical and potential biomedical properties to the nanoscale level. CNTs-based hydrogels are widely u...

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have the potential to differentiate into different types of mesodermal tissues. In vitro proliferation and differentiation of hMSCs are necessary for bone regeneration in tissue engineering. The present study aimed to design and develop a fluid flow mechanically-assisted cartridge device to enhance the osteogeni...

Nanocellulose, a biopolymer, has received wide attention from researchers owing to its superior physicochemical properties, such as high mechanical strength, low density, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. Nanocellulose can be extracted from wide range of sources, including plants, bacteria, and algae. Depending on the extraction process and d...

3D bioprinted hydrogel has gained enormous attention, especially in tissue engineering, owing to its attractive structure and excellent biocompatibility. In this study, we demonstrated that 3D bioprinted cell-laden 'thermoresponsive' poloxamer-407 (P407) gels have the potential to stimulate osteogenic differentiation of apical papilla stem cells (S...

Naturally-derived proteins or peptides are promising biopolymers for tissue engineering applications owing to their health-promoting activity. Herein, we extracted proteins (~90%) from two-spotted cricket ( Gryllus bimaculatus ) and evaluated their osteoinductive potential in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) under in vitro...

Graphene is a two-dimensional sp2 hybridized carbon material that has attracted tremendous attention for its stimuli-responsive applications, owing to its high surface area and excellent electrical, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties. The physicochemical properties of graphene can be tuned by surface functionalization. The biomedical field...

Graphene is a two-dimensional sp2 hybridized carbon material that has attracted tremendous attention for its stimuli-responsive applications, owing to its high surface area and excellent electrical, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties. The physicochemical properties of graphene can be tuned by surface functionalization. The biomedical field...

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted significant interest for various applications owing to their superior physicochemical properties. The unzipping of multi-walled carbon nanotubes was accomplished by strong acid treatment. The solution of unzipped carbon nanotubes (u-CNTs) was homogeneous and stable. The u-CNTs were characterized by Fourier tra...

Nanocellulose-assisted gold nanoparticles are considered promising materials for developing eco-friendly diagnostic tools for biosensing applications. In this study, we synthesized 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanocrystal (TEMPO-CNC)-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for the colorimetric detection of unam...

Colorimetric detection of pathogenic DNA using TEMPO-cellulose nanocrystals capped gold nanoparticles

Nanocellulose-assisted gold nanoparticles are considered promising materials for developing eco-friendly diagnostic tools for biosensing applications. In this study, we synthesized 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanocrystal (TEMPOCNC)-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for the colorimetric detection of unamp...

Polymers have gained importance for their ability to alter color, volume, or shape in response to specific physicochemical environments, such as temperature, light, or pH. The use of “smart” polymer-based material is rapidly increasing in personalized healthcare, electronics, and renewable energy resources. Thus, design, synthesis, and production o...

The enhanced popularity of the macromolecular class of functional polymers has been recognized recently in specific areas of academia and industrialization because of their unique features and applications. This class of materials is designed with a range of desirable properties on their surfaces. The present and future of polymer chemistry have a...

Biodegradable polymers are designed to degrade upon disposal by the action of living microorganisms. During the past two decades, remarkable advances have been made in the development of non-toxic, cheap, biodegradable, bioadsorbable, and water-soluble biopolymers that are suitable for commercial as well as biomedical applications. Significant prog...

Cells exert, sense, and respond to the different physical forces through diverse mechanisms and translating them into biochemical signals. The adhesion of cells is crucial in various developmental functions, such as to maintain tissue morphogenesis and homeostasis and activate critical signaling pathways regulating survival, migration, gene express...

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have received tremendous attention in recent years for various applications because of their excellent physicochemical properties. Here, CNCs were isolated from coffee grounds through chemical treatment. The CNCs were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravime...

Nowadays, mushrooms with enhanced medicinal properties are being focused on finding such compounds that could modulate the immune systems of the human body. Mushrooms are extensively known for their antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antiviral, hepatoprotective, antitumor, and immunomodulatory properties owing to the presence of various bioactive compone...

Objective: This study aimed to monitor the secretion of serotonin and melatonin in the blood serum of rats in the presence of rice bran (RB), and Sarcodon aspratus (S) extracts for sleep promotion. Background: Sleep is a natural physiological phenomenon, and sleep disorders may cause severe mental hazards leading to excessive daytime sleepiness (ED...

Chitosan-based hydrogels have received significant interest in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications owing to their superior biocompatibility. However, their applications are restricted owing to their weak mechanical strength. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are often explored as reinforcing agents to improve the native properties...

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs)-based hydrogels are considered attractive biomaterials for tissue engineering due to their excellent physicochemical properties. Hydrogels of alginate and gelatin were prepared with or without CNCs and printed using CELLINK® BIOX 3D bio-printer. The 3D-printed scaffolds were characterized by Fourier transform infrared...

Cirsium setidens (Dunn) Nakai, commonly known as gondre, is a perennial herb that grows predominantly in South Korea. It contains several bioactive phytochemicals with antioxidant, anti‑cancer, anti‑tumor and anti‑inflammatory properties. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of methanolic extracts of gondre on osteogenic differentiati...

The 3D-printed hybrid biodegradable hydrogels composed of alginate, gelatin, and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were prepared to provide a favorable environment for cell proliferation, adhesion, nutrients exchange, and matrix mineralization for bone tissue engineering (BTE) applications. The hybrid scaffolds exhibited enhanced mechanical strength co...

The osteogenic differentiation of stem cells is profoundly affected by their microenvironmental conditions. The differentiation behavior of stem cells can be tuned by changing the niche environments. The proteins or peptides that are derived by living organisms facilitate the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. Here, we have evaluated the ost...

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and its hybrids have gained massive interest in wastewater remediation strategies. Hybrids of AgNPs with materials like cellulose, activated carbons, chitosan, alginate, graphene oxides, titanium dioxides, silicon dioxide, etc., are used extensively in wastewater treatment. Dyes such as rhodamin, congo red, methyl orang...