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Jie Song, PhD |
Jie Song, PhD, associate professor of orthopedics & physical rehabilitation, has received a $250,000 grant from Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation to further her research of 3D-printed self-fitting shape memory grafts for smart pediatric skeletal reconstruction.
The 3D-printed bone grafts, built from a novel material being developed in Dr. Song’s lab, could help treat bone and tissue damage in pediatric patients with bone cancer, Song told Worcester News Tonight reporter Cam Jandrow.
Song is one of 19 researchers to receive a 2017 Innovation Grant from Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to finding cure for all children with cancer.
“The innovation grant encourages experienced researchers in the field to push for breakthroughs in childhood cancers, ultimately leading to new clinical interventions,” said Jay Scott, foundation co-executive director.
The materials used for printing the 3D scaffolds can potentially be loaded with therapeutic stem cells or proteins that a patient needs to heal. In addition to treating children with bone cancer, Song told said that the material can be used for treatment of traumatic battlefield injuries and dental bone reconstruction.
The material development is in the early stages of research.
“This particular grant allows us to explore using animal models to try to demonstrate the feasibility for reconstruction of bone using this scaffold,” Song said, adding that further studies are necessary before the product can potentially be used in humans.
See the full interview on Worcester News Tonight.
Related stories on UMassMedNow:
‘It’s personalized medicine,’ Jie Song tells Telegram about UMMS bone research using 3D printers
UMMS scholar receives Young Investigator Award from Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation
