Hai-Quan Mao, Ph.D.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins have developed an injectable biomimetic hydrogel composite that promotes regenerative healing in an animal model of Crohn’s perianal fistulas.

A recent study using a rat model for Crohn’s disease has demonstrated promising results for the treatment of perianal fistulas (PAF), a common complication of the condition. Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Whiting School of Engineering collaborated to develop a biodegradable hydrogel composite loaded with stem cells.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Crohn’s disease, a subtype of inflammatory bowel disease, affects over three million adults in America. One common complication of Crohn’s disease is perianal fistulas, which affects 30% to 40% of patients. This is a painful condition characterized by an inflamed tunnel between the skin and the inside of the anus, causing discomfort, swelling, leakage of blood or pus, and pain. While surgery is often required to treat this condition, more than half of patients do not benefit from current treatments… Continue reading.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has announced the induction of Hai-Quan Mao, Ph.D., Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, to its College of Fellows. Dr. Mao was nominated, reviewed, and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for outstanding contributions to nanomaterials engineering for therapeutic delivery and regenerative medicine.