[Sportschosun Reporter Jang Jong-ho] A research team led by Professor Lee Soon-cheol of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at CHA University Bundang Medical Center (Director Yoon Sang-wook), including Research Professor Kim Jeong-in and CHA University doctoral student Sifeshihle Cassandra Ndzola, has developed a new biomaterial scaffold that promotes the regeneration of damaged bone and identified a new mechanism by which lactate induces bone formation.
Bone can sometimes heal naturally after a fracture or a major defect, but it is difficult for the body to regenerate it on its own when the damage is extensive. To address this, researchers have been developing biomaterial scaffolds that provide an environment in which bone can grow, but existing materials have been limited to simply supporting bone. As a result, the development of next-generation biomaterials that can attract stem cells to the damaged area and promote bone regeneration is drawing attention as an important challenge.
To overcome these limitations, Professor Lee's team developed a next-generation bone regeneration scaffold that combines the ability to attract stem cells to the injured site and promote bone formation in a single biomaterial.
The team focused on calcium lactate, a material that can supply calcium needed for bone regeneration while also promoting the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. As calcium lactate breaks down, it releases both calcium and lactate. Calcium provides the minerals needed to form new bone, while lactate helps stem cells develop into bone cells. The researchers applied calcium lactate to a scaffold based on plant-derived cellulose and a biocompatible polymer to create a new bone regeneration material.
They also attached SDF-1, a protein that attracts stem cells to damaged areas, to the scaffold surface to create an environment where stem cells could gather early in the healing process. The scaffold was designed so that calcium and lactate would be released gradually from inside, inducing stem cell osteogenic differentiation and promoting new bone formation.
This study is especially significant because it confirmed that lactate is not merely a metabolic byproduct, but an important signaling molecule that induces bone regeneration. The team identified a new mechanism showing that lactate activates the OR5AN1 receptor on the cell surface, promoting the process by which stem cells differentiate into bone cells. This is a meaningful achievement that reveals a new role for lactate in bone regeneration research.
Animal model experiments also showed that the group treated with the newly developed scaffold formed more new bone than the group using conventional materials, and the maturity of the bone tissue was also found to be superior.
Professor Lee Soon-cheol said, "This study is meaningful because we did not simply develop a material that supports bone, but created a biomaterial that gathers stem cells at the damaged site and induces the body to form bone on its own." He added, "In particular, by showing that lactate is a new signaling molecule that promotes bone regeneration, we expect it could be used in a wide range of orthopedic treatments in the future, including fractures, bone defects, and bone regeneration after joint replacement surgery."
The study was published in Carbohydrate Polymers, a leading international journal in the field of biomaterials, with an impact factor of 13.2, and was also listed in the Biological Research Information Center's "Korean Scientists Who Shine" recognition program, earning acknowledgment for both its technical excellence and academic value.
Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
