Research Projects

Bone regeneration is a prolonged process, especially in elderly and immunocompromised patients with a high risk of infection. Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel, non-invasive, regenerative therapies. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have shown promising results in the domain of tissue engineering. Concurrently, immune system's crucial role in tissue repair is being recognized and scrutinized. The groundbreaking contributions of 2018 Nobel laureates James Allison and Tasuku Honjo have catalysed extensive biomedical research into immune-guided regenerative therapies. This project aims to develop a novel, non-invasive, stimuli-responsive nanotherapeutic platform using cytokine functionalised iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs). The central hypothesis of our work lies in coupling laser (635 nm), static magnetic field and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10) that will promote osteogenesis by modulating macrophage response towards M2 phenotype.[1] To validate this hypothesis, the superparamagnetic IONPs will be synthesised via thermal decomposition method and functionalised with polyacrylic acid (PAA) to ensure aqueous dispersion and subsequently functionalised with cytokines using EDC/NHS chemistry.[2,3] These cytokines are expected to promote M2 macrophage polarization and support a regenerative immune microenvironment.[4,5] The NPs will be characterised using TEM, SEM, DLS, XRD, zeta potential and cytokines loading efficiency. Upon laser and magnetic field activation, the IONPs are expected to enhance cellular uptake, activate osteogenic signalling pathways and enable targeted cytokines delivery, thereby enhancing bone regeneration. Initially, the IONPs will be tested in osteoblast-like cells (MC3T3-E1) to evaluate biocompatibility, proliferation, osteogenic differentiation (ALP, Alizarin Red, RT-PCR for Runx2, OCN). Next, osteoblast and macrophage co-culture systems shall be utilised to assess immune behaviour (CD86, CD206) and the effects of macrophage polarization on osteogenesis. This interdisciplinary collaboration will combine the joint expertise of Kritika (Principal Investigator) in nanoparticle synthesis and biological assessment with Prof. Neetu Singh (Host Supervisor, IIT Delhi), a leading expert in immune modulation and tissue engineering. This dual strategy will provide both comparative and translational insights, strengthening the clinical significance of the study. Together this research will create a non-invasive, immune-responsive nanoplatform aimed at improving bone regeneration and tissue repair. This work represents a paradigm shift in regenerative nanomedicine, offering a novel approach to overcome critical bottlenecks in bone healing via immune guided, non-invasive therapy. Reference: 1. https:/doi.org/10.1038/s41413-024-00356-2 2. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2TB02447K 3. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202201311 4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.119833 5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.12.067