Hai-Quan Mao, Ph.D.

Lymph nodes, tiny glands scattered throughout the body, mainly in the neck, armpits and groin, are part of the immune system of mammals, including mice and humans. They number in the hundreds so that immune cells in one area of ​​the body do not have to travel far to alert the immune system of imminent danger.

“They are a landing site where T cells, the cells that fight the immune system, lie dormant, waiting to be activated to fight infections or other abnormal cells,” says Natalie Livingston, Ph.D., first author of the research and currently researcher. postdoctoral fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Because tumors can cause T cells to remain dormant, the artificial lymph node was designed to inform and activate T cells that are injected along with the lymph node… Continue reading.

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.