HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 31 August 2023 – Researchers from the University of Hong Kong (HKU), the HKU-Shenzhen Hospital and the Princeton University, collaborated to achieve a breakthrough in the development of injectable hydrogels, a highly effective method of administering medicine. Their innovative product, Fibro-Gel, offers numerous advantages over existing hydrogels and has promising applications in wound healing.
Injectable hydrogel delivery is a highly effective method of administering medicine. A drug is incorporated into a soft gel which is then injected directly where it is required. Another advantage of this method is that the gel releases the drug gradually, allowing for better, more precise control of drug dosage.
Injectable hydrogels have a number of applications – from cancer therapy where they can deliver drugs directly to the tumours, to treating diabetes, regenerating human tissues, and chronic pain management. They are especially suitable for treating wounds, including burns and surgical sites. Hydrogels can deliver growth factors, antibiotics, or anti-inflammatory drugs directly to the wound, aiding the healing process.
However, there have been challenges in hydrogel development, such as the high cost of production, difficulty in scaling up, and the potential for adverse reactions in patients. The Fibro-Gel, created by the research team led by Professor Anderson Ho Cheung Shum from HKU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, together with two groups of collaborators – Professor Michael To’s team from The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, and the group of Professor Howard Stone and Dr Janine Nunes from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University, addresses these issues.
Fibro-Gel is made by squeezing out a polymer, that contains the molecules of the required drug, through a narrow channel (not unlike toothpaste squeezed out of a tube), and snapping off the microfibres by using a pulse of ultra-violet light.
What sets aside Fibro-Gel from the existing hydrogels is that it is solely aqueous-based, without using oils – which makes it more biocompatible, stable and cheaper to make. In addition, Fibro-Gel is biomimetic – it replicates the properties of biological materials, such as the tissues it is injected into, which prevents adverse reactions. As the result, Fibro-Gel heals wounds faster as it promotes vascularisation – formation of new blood vessels, which plays a crucial role in wound healing.
A revolutionary feature of Fibro-Gel is that it allows the use of different drugs within the same gel, thus enabling controlling and tuning the time of their release. This is very important because the processes of healing and tissue regeneration consist of a sequence of different stages which require administration of specific growth factors and drugs.
Finally, the production of Fibro-Gel production is not costly and can be easily scaled up to manufacturing levels.
The crucial breakthrough was made by PhD student Yanting Shen and postdoctoral fellow Dr Yuan Liu of HKU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering – the researchers realised that the release of the drugs from the gel can be controlled and tailored by setting the length of microfibres that the gel consists of.
Longer microfibres become very entangled, resulting in a stiffer, less fluid gel, and it takes longer for the molecules of the drug to be released from it. Conversely, Fibro-Gel with shorter microfibers has lower stiffness and is more fluid fluid-like, resulting in faster rates of drug release.
Leveraging this feature, the researchers designed a multiple drug release system – a gel consisting of multiple layers with different length of microfibres and containing different drugs. These multiple drugs are released from the gel at different times, in sequence, addressing the drawbacks of existing hydrogel systems.
Laboratory testing on mice showed that, compared to commercially available gels, Fibro-Gel regenerates tissues significantly faster, with new tissue forming sooner. Furthermore, using a two-layer Fibro-Gel model, the researchers demonstrated that the release of distinct drugs at different rates enhanced wound healing.
One such potential application of Fibro-Gel is regeneration of brain tissue in people suffering from Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s.
Professor Shum emphasised that multidisciplinary collaboration was key in producing Fibre-Gel, “Our collaboration has enabled us to address the topic of wound healing from multiple perspectives. This novel hydrogel has immense potential to address critical medical needs that require more versatile and compatible soft materials.”
The successful partnership between HKU and Princeton University, supported by the Research Impact Fund by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, exemplifies the power of cross-border collaboration and highlights the significance of pooling expertise to drive groundbreaking research in the field of regenerative medicine.
Their work was published in Advanced Materials in an article “Fibro-Gel: An All-Aqueous Hydrogel Consisting of Microfibers with Tunable Release Profile and its Application in Wound Healing”.
Stakeholder mapping, analysis, engagement and communication needs to be detailed to avoid business losses or even worse, a crisis. How can you do this effectively to prevent failure? ...
Data-driven business decisions have never been as crucial, especially in this era. MGBF leverages off, technology, experience and market presence to aid businesses in making accurate decisions. ...
MGBF provides comprehensive strategic advice and results-focused solutions to solve clients' problems in business-government relations so they can focus on their core business. ...
A critical business challenge is meeting the right decision-makers and potential buyers through the best channel and platform. How will you improve your business competency? ...
MGBF founding chairman Nordin Abdullah and UMW Toyota president Datuk Ravindran K. will delve into the convergence of automotive innovation and environmental sustainability in Penang, Sarawak, Johor and Pahang.
Hosted by menumiz™ – an end-to-end restaurant management system – this roundtable will feature a case study presentation and a panel session to discuss the latest digital trends, challenges, and opportunities within the food and beverage sector.
In this episode of 'A Working Lunch with Nordin', MGBF's founding chairman, Nordin Abdullah, will host this discussion focusing on the biggest threats and opportunities for businesses as we look to manage change in the South China Sea.
This MGBF Roundtable will focus on regional food security issues and trends in the regional supply chain, and trade regulations and policies, including a new geopolitical tool i.e., weaponisation of supply chains.
Planet QEOS, KIS BlOCNG San Bhd, and the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (SALCRA) have officially signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a collaborative framework aimed at producing bio-hydrogen via the Steam Biomethane Reforming (SBMR) Process. The MoU was signed by Planet QEOS executive chairman Dino […]
Planet QEOS and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) are interested in investing RM10 billion to co-develop advanced Megawatt peak (MWp) agrovoltaic in Baram, to further boost Sarawak’s green energy initiative and food security. Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg was briefed on Friday by both the […]
Last week SPM results came out, 373,974 aspirants who have been waiting patiently over the last few months would now know their fate. Some 10,109 have received all A’s, the golden standard of academic success and the ticket to those looking to study the “more advanced” subjects in university. Proudly, […]
The classic knee-jerk reaction is to say, fire the coach, change the leadership of associations, and reduce the funding till they start performing better. This kind of negative reinforcement may work for kindergarten children, but we are dealing with high-performance adults – individuals much further along in their psychological and […]
Since its earliest tea plantations in 1929, Cameron Highlands has grown to become a key player in the agricultural landscape of Malaysia, producing 40 per cent of all vegetables grown. Despite Malaysia shifting its economic focus away from agriculture, the industry remains imperative for food security and the livelihoods of […]
Although at first glance the travel industry and the agricultural sector appear to have nothing in common, they actually share more than meets the eye. The economic benefits of tourism to the agricultural sector can be multiplied several times over. “Tourism brings the end consumers closer to the source, which […]
The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) recently held a high-level roundtable themed ‘Designing the Future of the Digital Economy’, attended by industry leaders and business associations. The guest of honour was Yang Berhormat Syerleena Abdul Rashid, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukit Bendera in Penang. The MP’s Special Session […]
The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) will be hosting a roundtable on ‘Designing the Future of the Digital Economy’ on 23 February 2023. It is the culmination of the first three MGBF Exclusive Roundtable Series titled ‘The Evolving Threat Matrix in the Digital Economy’ held throughout 2022. According to the […]
The Founding Chairman of the Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF), Nordin Abdullah, today spoke on Bernama TV’s leading English talk show, The Brief, hosted by Jessy Chahal, on the topic of a stable political reality and what that means for the Malaysian economy. Nordin said, “The first thing that it […]
More than 1,100 years ago, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi was developing the mathematical formulas that we know today as algorithms which now have become so intertwined with the business fortunes of global media giants and the very fabric of geopolitics. A series of recent high level international reports have revealed […]
KSK Land has been recognised by the Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) for its role in attracting high net-worth individuals to Malaysia post-pandemic. The first challenge in investor attraction is “selling” the country. In the context of Asia, Malaysia is competing with some very established investment destinations. The second […]
Malaysia, in particular Kuala Lumpur, continues to position itself as a regional centre to do business, educate a family and enjoy a global lifestyle. One company, KSK Land, has taken the lead in positioning itself and the city of Kuala Lumpur as a property investment destination for the global citizen […]
The upcoming budget represents an opportunity to build resilience in the critical sectors that will form the backbone of the country’s future-facing economic ambitions. This however needs to be achieved in the context of managing the community sectors most impacted by COVID-19 over the past two years. The Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) […]
Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) has moved to support the creative economy as the overall economy moves into a recovery phase following the COVID19 pandemic. As a step in the direction of normalcy, the MGBF has agreed to host the art exhibition “I Know You’re Somewhere So Far” by one […]
Congratulations to Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for taking up the mantle of the ninth prime minister of Malaysia. There is nothing normal about the situation; it could not have been scripted but it has kept the spectrum of media, mainstream and social, gripped. The first order of business for […]
In a stirring speech to the nation, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. stamped his brand of leadership on the presidency, in his first act as the 46th president of the United State of America, it signaled several shifts. Perhaps the weather was foreboding with snow falling before the ceremony that […]
KUALA LUMPUR, 6 July 2022 – As the global economy continues to deal with unprecedented levels of disruption caused by the pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the convergence of energy security and food security issues has become a front-of-mind issue faced by policy makers and consumers alike. […]
KUALA LUMPUR, 23 June 2022 — Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) ties up with scoutAsia to ensure that businesses are equipped with deeper regional insights. The past two years has seen a massive shift in the way businesses are conducted with digitisation, digitalisation and automation continuously being adopted to improve […]
KUALA LUMPUR, 25 May 2022 – The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF)’s exclusive roundtable on ‘Security Concerns in Critical Value Chains’ was held in a hybrid setting yesterday at the Eastin Hotel Kuala Lumpur. The guest of honour was Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Rafidah Aziz, former minister of […]