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Grace Jeong Lim, Ph.D. |
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Institute for Regenerative Medicine voice: (336)713-7267
NRC 128, Medical Center Boulevard fax: (336)713-7290
Winston Winston Salem, NC 27157
e-mail:glim@wfubmc.edu
Professional Training
Cornell University Polymer Science M.S. 1988
UMass, Lowell Polymer Science Ph.D. 1993
MIT Postdoctoral training 1993-1994
Harvard Medical School Postdoctoral training 1993-1994
Research Fields: Controlled Drug Delivery System and Biopolymers for Tissue Engineering
Getting both cells and pharmaceuticals to targeted tissue sites is important to successful tissue engineering and regenerative therapeutics. In addition to their use in the scaffolds upon which new tissues are engineered, polymers, physiologically inert and biodegradable polymers from both natural and synthetic sources, are essential for targeted delivery or timed release of drugs in chosen therapies.
Grace Lim, Ph.D. and her research team are working on:
- Delivery of therapeutic agents into a targeted area of the body at continuous and controlled rates over a period of weeks or months
- Fabrication of functional scaffolds for promoting the nerve and vessel formation using growth factors
- Formulation of drug delivery vehicles such as injectable nano-microspheres, liposomes, hydrogels, implantable devices
- Cell encapsulation for cell therapy
- Integration of nanotechnology for imaging and drug targeting
Growth factors such as BMP for enhanced bone regeneration, VEGF for new blood vessel formation and nerve growth factor (NGF) for promoting reinnervation of tissues can be incorporated in multiple combinations into the scaffold system using controlled release technologies for functional engineered tissues and organs. The team also works on micro-encapsulation of different healthy cell types for delivery as therapeutic products to replace cells dysfunctional due to disease (e.g. cancer, diabetes). Cell encapsulation with polymeric membranes is used for cell therapy by enclosing a wide range of cells, permitting the entry of nutrients and oxygen and the exit of therapeutic protein products, thus providing immunoisolation.