DR. JOHNSON V. JOHN'S LABORATORY


ABOUT DR. JOHNSON V. JOHN


Dr. Johnson V. John is a Assistant Professor  at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation. Johnson V. John was born in Kerala, India. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Kannur University and master’s degree in Biochemistry from Bharathidasan University, India. Then he finishes his Ph.D. in "Stimuli-Responsive Synthetic Polymer Bioconjugate Hybrid Nanocarriers for Controlled Drug Delivery" under the guidance of Prof. Il Kim at Pusan National University, Republic of Korea. Then, he joined Prof. Carlo. D. Montemagno’s Lab as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Alberta, Canada (2016-2018). Then, he joined Jingwei Xie’s lab at the University of Nebraska Medical Center as a Postdoctoral Research Associate (2018-2021). Since 2021 he joined as one of the core faculty members in Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation.


UPCOMING TALKS



RESEARCH OVERVIEW


During my educational/professional training, I had an opportunity to work on different interdisciplinary projects related to polymer synthesis and intelligent biomaterials for drug and gene delivery, photodynamic therapy, and tissue engineering. I aim to develop an academic career in biomaterial science with immunomodulation capabilities to tune inflammation and infection in soft tissue repair. My educational degrees were focused on polymer and biomolecular chemistry, but later, my research interests shifted toward different forms of biopolymer scaffolds in regenerative medicine and drug delivery. I excelled in my postdoctoral tenures at the University of Alberta, Canada, researching porcine islet isolation and implantation with various biomaterials in immune-deficient mice. At the University of Nebraska Medical Center, I gained knowledge in fiber composed biomaterial engineering and clinical disease treatment from both engineers and physicians. These included out-of-cleanroom fabrication processes involving polymer and biological materials, micro-engineered cell transplant systems, and injectable cell/therapeutic carriers for tissue repair.

JJ lab’s at Terasaki Institute is focusing on the development of new forms of functional biomaterials systems for enhancing rapid tissue repair and regeneration. His team is focusing on different micro/nano engineering technologies like electrospinning, electrospraying, electrostatic flocking, and 3D printing to create various functional biomaterials (modular biomaterial, fiber reinforced scaffolds, and piezoelectric biomaterials) for wound healing, musculoskeletal tissue engineering, neural tissue engineering and hemostasis.


RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS




Modular tissue engineering



Modular tissue engineering is a bottom-up approach used for fabricating building blocks of engineered biological tissues for regenerative medicine. The significant advantages of modular scaffolds are the ability to create specific geometry, and precise microarchitecture allows enhanced cell migration and vascularization. Our lab is focusing on the engineering the modular scaffolds (Granular gels, and aerogels ) by using electrospraying, microfluidics, and 3D printing for tissue repair and regeneration.


Fiber reinforced scaffold


Fiber-reinforced hydrogel composites recently gained attention with their unique fibrous structure mimicking native tissue architecture. Fiber-reinforced composites show enhanced mechanical strength and fiber-induced cell alignment in various cell studies. Our recent findings show that handheld 3D printers can print these composites without harming cell viability, enabling precise fiber alignment and in situ printing. In another study, we found that fiber reinforced bioink provides controlled release of growth factors for bone tissue engineering while providing mechanical strength.


Piezoelectric materials


Due to their distinctive capacity to transform mechanical stress into electrical signals and vice versa, piezoelectric materials are attracting attention in the field of regenerative medicine. In response to tiny mechanical stresses (e.g., breathing, heartbeat, blood flow, and mild bodily movements such as walking and running), piezoelectric materials accumulate charge and demonstrate corresponding electrical activity. This activity can be harvested for tissue regeneration purpose. Different materials, including PVDF, PLLA, ZnO, BaTiO3 and glycine crystals, exhibit remarkable piezoelectric properties. Our lab is focusing on engineering the various piezoelectric injectable biomaterials for both soft and hard tissue repair 


Wound healing and management


Wound healing and management are advancing through several innovative approaches. Our lab is focusing on reprogramming the infection with the development of multifunctional antibacterials injectable dermal fillers to inhibit the biofilm formation and followed by reducing the inflammation, to enhance chronic wound healing. Our second project belongs to reprogramming inflammation through macrophage polarization offers a promising strategy to modulate the inflammatory response, ultimately leading to better healing outcomes in chronic wounds.


Musculoskeletal tissue repair


The skeleton (which includes bones, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage) and muscles that are attached to it make up the musculoskeletal system. In our lab we are engineering osteoinductive and osteoconductive scaffolds with guided bone regeneration. Moreover, we will be engineering the precise organization of cells inside the hydrogels for the volumetric muscle loss treatments.  Additionally, we are engineering injectable granular scaffolds for both periodontal and cartilage tissue repair.


Neural tissue engineering


The nervous system is a crucial component of the body and damages to this system, either by of injury or disease, can result in serious or potentially lethal consequences. Restoring the damaged nervous system is a great challenge due to the complex physiology system and limited regenerative capacity. In our nerve repair project, an injectable biomaterials provides electrical cues at the injury sites in a minimally invasive way to accelerate the healing process. Additionally, our newly developed microfabrication technique allows us to create bioengineered nerve conduits that support nerve cell growth across damaged areas, potentially restoring function and sensation. In our cell therapy project  we engineered precise orientation of PRs and RPE to mimic a three-dimensional cell niche, aiming to restore vision.


Hemostatis


Hemostasis is the mechanism that leads to cessation of bleeding from a blood vessel. Many attempts have been made to develop hemostatic material or scaffold to prevent blood loss. Our expanded 3D nanofibrous scaffold can be injected and expands at the site of injury, effectively limiting excessive bleeding. In our another project we engineer thermoresponsive shear-thinning hydrogels composed of a thermoresponsive polymer, and hemostatic silicate nanodisks, as minimally invasive injectable hemostatic agents. This innovative approach offers a promising solution for enhancing hemostatic efficiency.


Postdoctoral Researchers



Alumni



RESEARCH PAPERS


Google Scholar 

Development and Quantitative Evaluation of a Novel Autonomous In Situ

Bioprinting Surgical Robotic Framework for Treatment of Volumetric Muscle

Loss Injuries

S Yang, H Kim, O Rezayof, J Bonyun, JV John, MR Dokmeci, ...

IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering


Mechanically resilient hybrid aerogels containing fibers of dual-scale sizes and knotty networks for tissue regeneration

SMS Shahriar, AD McCarthy, SM Andrabi, Y Su, NS Polavoram, JV John, ...

Nature Communications 15 (1), 1080


Copper–Cystine Biohybrid-Embedded Nanofiber Aerogels Show Antibacterial and Angiogenic Properties

A Karan, NS Sharma, M Darder, Y Su, SM Andrabi, SMS Shahriar, ...

ACS omega


Anti‐inflammatory Peptide‐Conjugated Silk Fibroin/Cryogel Hybrid Dual Fiber Scaffold with Hierarchical Structure Promotes Healing of Chronic Wounds

R Fan, J Zhao, L Yi, J Yuan, A McCarthy, B Li, G Yang, JV John, W Wan, ...

Advanced Materials, 2307328


Egg White Photocrosslinkable Hydrogels as Versatile Bioinks for Advanced Tissue Engineering Applications

M Mahmoodi, MA Darabi, N Mohaghegh, A Erdem, A Ahari, ...

Advanced Functional Materials, 2315040


Development of bioactive short fibers reinforced printable hydrogel with tunable mechanical and osteogenic properties for bone repair

N Moghimi, M Kamaraj, F Zehtabi, SA Yavari, M Kohandel, ...

Journal of Materials Chemistry B


New dimensions of electrospun nanofiber material designs for biotechnological uses

M Kamaraj, N Moghimi, J Chen, R Morales, S Chen, A Khademhosseini, ...

Trends in Biotechnology


Nanofiber collection devices

J Xie, JV John

US Patent App. 18/194,664


Stretchable, self-healing, biocompatible, and durable ionogel for continuous wearable strain and physiological signal monitoring

K Le, X Sun, J Chen, JV John, A Servati, H Heidari, A Khademhosseini, ...

Chemical Engineering Journal 471, 144675


Biomimetic natural biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine: new biosynthesis methods, recent advances, and emerging applications

S Liu, JM Yu, YC Gan, XZ Qiu, ZC Gao, H Wang, SX Chen, Y Xiong, ...

Military Medical Research 10 (1), 16


Extracellular Matrix Secretion Mechanically Reinforces Interlocking Interfaces

A McCarthy, NS Sharma, PA Holubeck, D Brown, R Shah, D McGoldrick, ...

Advanced Materials 35 (5), 2207335


Cellulose-based composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering and localized drug delivery

M Janmohammadi, Z Nazemi, AOM Salehi, A Seyfoori, JV John, ...

Bioactive materials 20, 137-163


Thermoresponsive shear-thinning hydrogel (T-STH) hemostats for minimally invasive treatment of external hemorrhages

M Mecwan, R Haghniaz, AH Najafabadi, K Mandal, V Jucaud, JV John, ...

Biomaterials Science 11 (3), 949-963


Nanofiber aerogels with precision macrochannels and LL‐37‐mimic peptides synergistically promote diabetic wound healing

JV John, NS Sharma, G Tang, Z Luo, Y Su, S Weihs, SMS Shahriar, ...

Advanced functional materials 33 (1), 2206936


Engineered Exosomes Containing Cathelicidin/LL‐37 Exhibit Multiple Biological Functions

Y Su, NS Sharma, JV John, G Ganguli‐Indra, AK Indra, AF Gombart, J Xie

Advanced healthcare materials 11 (20), 2200849


Cover Feature: Electrospun Nanofibers for Wound Management (ChemNanoMat 7/2022)

JV John, A McCarthy, A Karan, J Xie

ChemNanoMat 8 (7), e202200086


Nanofiber capsules for minimally invasive sampling of biological specimens from gastrointestinal tract

JV John, A McCarthy, Y Su, DN Ackerman, SMS Shahriar, MA Carlson, ...

Acta biomaterialia 146, 211-221


Recent advances in biopolymer-based hemostatic materials

M Mecwan, J Li, N Falcone, M Ermis, E Torres, R Morales, A Hassani, ...

Regenerative Biomaterials 9, rbac063


Electrospun nanofiber matrix for tissue repair and regeneration

JV John, A McCarthy, J Xie

Tissue Engineering, 175-191


Understanding and utilizing textile-based electrostatic flocking for biomedical applications

A McCarthy, R Shah, JV John, D Brown, J Xie

Applied Physics Reviews 8 (4)


Electrospun Nanofibers for Wound Management

JV John, A McCarthy, A Karan, J Xie

ChemNanoMat


Electrostatic Flocking of Insulative and Biodegradable Polymer Microfibers for Biomedical Applications (Adv. Healthcare Mater. 19/2021)

A McCarthy, JV John, L Saldana, H Wang, M Lagerstrom, S Chen, Y Su, ...

Advanced Healthcare Materials 10 (19), 2170085


Electrostatic flocking of insulative and biodegradable polymer microfibers for biomedical applications

A McCarthy, JV John, L Saldana, H Wang, M Lagerstrom, S Chen, Y Su, ...

Advanced healthcare materials 10 (19), 2100766


Electrostatic flocking of salt-treated microfibers and nanofiber yarns for regenerative engineering

A McCarthy, KLM Avegnon, PA Holubeck, D Brown, A Karan, NS Sharma, ...

Materials Today Bio 12, 100166


Large‐scale synthesis of compressible and re‐expandable three‐dimensional nanofiber matrices

A McCarthy, L Saldana, D McGoldrick, JV John, M Kuss, S Chen, B Duan, ...

Nano Select 2 (8), 1566-1579


Biomaterials with structural hierarchy and controlled 3D nanotopography guide endogenous bone regeneration

S Chen, H Wang, VL Mainardi, G Talò, A McCarthy, JV John, MJ Teusink, ...

Science advances 7 (31), eabg3089


Freeze‐casting with 3D‐printed templates creates anisotropic microchannels and patterned macrochannels within biomimetic nanofiber aerogels for rapid cellular infiltration

JV John, A McCarthy, H Wang, Z Luo, H Li, Z Wang, F Cheng, YS Zhang, ...

Advanced healthcare materials 10 (12), 2100238


Ultra-absorptive nanofiber swabs for improved collection and test sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 and other biological specimens

A McCarthy, L Saldana, DN Ackerman, Y Su, JV John, S Chen, S Weihs, ...

Nano Letters 21 (3), 1508-1516


3D Hybrid nanofiber aerogels combining with nanoparticles made of a biocleavable and targeting polycation and MiR‐26a for bone repair

R Li, H Wang, JV John, H Song, MJ Teusink, J Xie

Advanced functional materials 30 (49), 2005531


Periosteum Mimetic Coating on Structural Bone Allografts via Electrospray Deposition Enhances Repair and Reconstruction of Segmental Defects

Z Zhuang, JV John, H Liao, J Luo, P Rubery, A Mesfin, SK Boda, J Xie, ...

ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering 6 (11), 6241-6252


Converting 2D nanofiber membranes to 3D hierarchical assemblies with structural and compositional gradients regulates cell behavior

S Chen, A McCarthy, JV John, Y Su, J Xie

Advanced Materials 32 (43), 2003754


Dissolvable Microneedles Coupled with Nanofiber Dressings Eradicate Biofilms via Effectively Delivering a Database-Designed Antimicrobial Peptide

Y Su, VL Mainardi, H Wang, A McCarthy, YS Zhang, S Chen, JV John, ...

ACS nano 14 (9), 11775-11786


Fast transformation of 2D nanofiber membranes into pre-molded 3D scaffolds with biomimetic and oriented porous structure for biomedical applications

S Chen, JV John, A McCarthy, MA Carlson, X Li, J Xie

Applied Physics Reviews 7 (2)


Nanofiber microspheres: Engineering biomimetic nanofiber microspheres with tailored size, predesigned structure, and desired composition via gas bubble–mediated coaxial …

JV John, A McCarthy, H Wang, S Chen, Y Su, E Davis, X Li, JS Park, ...

Small 16 (19), 2070104


Mesenchymal stem cell-laden, personalized 3D scaffolds with controlled structure and fiber alignment promote diabetic wound healing

S Chen, H Wang, Y Su, JV John, A McCarthy, SL Wong, J Xie

Acta biomaterialia 108, 153-167


New Forms of Electrospun Nanofiber Materials for Biomedical Applications

JX Shixuan Chen, Johnson V John, Alec McCarthy

Journal of Material Chemistry B


Dual Delivery of Alendronate and E7-BMP-2 Peptide via Calcium Chelation to Mineralized Nanofiber Fragments for Alveolar Bone Regeneration

JX Sunil Kumar Boda, Hongjun Wang, Johnson V. John, Richard A Reinhardt

ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering


Engineering Biomimetic Nanofiber Microspheres with Tailored Size, Predesigned Structure, and Desired Composition via Gas Bubble–Mediated Coaxial Electrospray

JX Johnson V. John, Alec McCarthy, Hongjun Wang, Shixuan Chen, Yajuan Su ...

Small


Tethering peptides onto biomimetic and injectable nanofiber microspheres to direct cellular response

JX Johnson V. John, Meera Choksi, Shixuan Chen, Sunil KumarBoda, Yajuan Su ...

Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine

Nanogel-based active drug delivery

JV John

Biomimetic Nanoengineered Materials for Advanced Drug Delivery, 115-124
Nanofiber microspheres for cell delivery

JVJ Jingwei Xie, Sunil Kumar Boda

Transactions of the Annual Meeting of the Society for Biomaterials and the …

Dual stimuli-responsive lipopolymer vesicular nanosphere for site specific doxorubicin delivery

JV John, YN Kim, YI Jeong, RMN Kalla, DH Kang, I Kim

Journal of Controlled Release 259, e178-e179


Dual-stimuli responsive amphiphilic chimeric triblock copolymer hybrid micelles for anticancer drug delivery

R Augustine, DK Kim, JV John, JH Kim, I Kim

Journal of Controlled Release 259, e116-e117


Biomimetic pH/redox dual stimuli‐responsive zwitterionic polymer block poly (L‐histidine) micelles for intracellular delivery of doxorubicin into tumor cells

JV John, S Uthaman, R Augustine, K Manickavasagam Lekshmi, IK Park, ...

Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry 55 (12), 2061-2070


Nanoparticle-Homing Polymers as Platforms for Theranostic Applications

R Augustine, JV John, I Kim

Nanotechnology-Based Approaches for Targeting and Delivery of Drugs and …
pH/redox dual stimuli-responsive sheddable nanodaisies for efficient intracellular tumour-triggered drug delivery

JV John, S Uthaman, R Augustine, H Chen, IK Park, I Kim

Journal of materials chemistry B 5 (25), 5027-5036


Phospholipid end-capped bioreducible polyurea micelles as a potential platform for intracellular drug delivery of doxorubicin in tumor cells

JV John, EJ Seo, R Augustine, IH Jang, DK Kim, YW Kwon, JH Kim, I Kim

ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering 2 (11), 1883-1893


Smart Lipopolypeptide Materials for Efficient Intracellular Delivery and Targetability

JV John, RP Johnson, R Liu, H Jin, J Bae, I Kim

한국고분자학회 학술대회 연구논문 초록집 41 (2), 131-131

Plenary Lectures Room: TAMNA A

K MÜLLEN, AK WHITTAKER, J YUAN, A FENG, JV JOHN, RP JOHNSON, ...

고분자 과학과 기술 27 (4), 353

Phospholipid End-Capped Acid-Degradable Polyurethane Micelles for Intracellular Delivery of Cancer Therapeutics.

JV John, RG Thomas, HR Lee, H Chen, YY Jeong, I Kim

Advanced Healthcare Materials 5 (15), 1874-1883


Tumor homing indocyanine green encapsulated micelles for near infrared and photoacoustic imaging of tumors

S Uthaman, J Bom, HS Kim, JV John, HS Bom, SJ Kim, JJ Min, I Kim, ...

Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials 104 (4 …

Effect of chain‐extender modification on the structure and properties of thermoplastic poly (ether ester) elastomers

JV John, KR Kim, ST Baek, JH Yoon, H Suh, I Kim

Journal of Applied Polymer Science 133 (7)


Dual stimuli-responsive vesicular nanospheres fabricated by lipopolymer hybrids for tumor-targeted photodynamic therapy

JV John, CW Chung, RP Johnson, YI Jeong, KD Chung, DH Kang, H Suh, ...

Biomacromolecules 17 (1), 20-31


Poly(PEGA)-b-poly(l-lysine)-b-poly(l-histidine) Hybrid Vesicles for Tumoral pH-Triggered Intracellular Delivery of Doxorubicin Hydrochloride

RP Johnson, S Uthaman, JV John, HR Lee, SJ Lee, H Park, IK Park, ...

ACS applied materials & interfaces 7 (39), 21770-21779


Simultaneous extraction of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine from soybean lecithin

JV John, H Park, HR Lee, H Suh, I Kim

European journal of lipid science and technology 117 (10), 1647-1654


Synthesis of hyperbranched polyglycidol-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) using nitroxide-mediated polymerization for thermo-sensitive drug delivery system

IK Min Seon Heo, Eun Jin Seo, Johnson V. John, Il Ho Jang, Jae Ho Kim

Journal of controlled release 213, e80


Cell specific doxorubicin delivery through the temperature responsive lipopolymer nanocarriers engineered by the combination of RAFT polymerization and click chemistry

IK Johnson V. John, Young-Il Jeong, Renjith P. Johnson, Min Seon Heo ...

Journal of Controlled release 213, e59


Biodegradable poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate-bpoly( l-lysine)-b-poly(l-histidine) triblock copolypeptides for non-viral gene delivery

Renjith P. Johnson, Saji Uthaman, Johnson V. John, Hye Ri Lee, In Kyu Park ...

Journal of Controlled Release 213, e93-e94


Folic acid-tethered poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)–phospholipid hybrid nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery

JV John, YI Jeong, RP Johnson, CW Chung, H Park, DH Kang, JK Cho, ...

Journal of materials chemistry B 3 (42), 8268-8278


Polymer-block-polypeptides and polymer-conjugated hybrid materials as stimuli-responsive nanocarriers for biomedical applications

JV John, RP Johnson, MS Heo, BK Moon, SJ Byeon, I Kim

Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology 11 (1), 1-39


Tetramethyl guanidinium chlorosulfonate as a highly efficient and recyclable organocatalyst for the preparation of bis (indolyl) methane derivatives

RMN Kalla, JV John, H Park, I Kim

Catalysis Communications 57, 55-59


Controlled accommodation of metal nanostructures within the matrices of polymer architectures through solution-based synthetic strategies

H Li, JV John, SJ Byeon, MS Heo, JH Sung, KH Kim, I Kim

Progress in polymer science 39 (11), 1878-1907


Poly(l‐histidine)‐containing polymer bioconjugate hybrid materials as stimuli‐responsive theranostic systems

RP Johnson, JV John, I Kim

Journal of Applied Polymer Science 131 (18)


Poly(2‐Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate)‐b‐Poly(L‐Lysine) Cationic Hybrid Materials for Non‐Viral Gene Delivery in NIH 3T3 Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts

RP Johnson, S Uthaman, JV John, MS Heo, IK Park, H Suh, I Kim

Macromolecular Bioscience 14 (9), 1239-1248


Lipo‐Poly (L‐histidine) Hybrid Materials with pH‐Sensitivity, Intracellular Delivery Efficiency, and Intrinsic Targetability to Cancer Cells

RP Johnson, YI Jeong, JV John, CW Chung, SH Choi, SY Song, DH Kang, ...

Macromolecular rapid communications 35 (9), 888-894


Recent developments in polymer–block–polypeptide and protein–polymer bioconjugate hybrid materials

RP Johnson, JV John, I Kim

European polymer journal 49 (10), 2925-2948


Influence of soft segment content and chain length on the physical properties of poly (ether ester) elastomers and fabrication of honeycomb pattern and electrospun fiber

JV John, BK Moon, I Kim

Reactive and Functional Polymers 73 (9), 1213-1222


Dual Stimuli-Responsive Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-b-poly(l-histidine) Chimeric Materials for the Controlled Delivery of Doxorubicin into Liver Carcinoma

RP Johnson, YI Jeong, JV John, CW Chung, DH Kang, M Selvaraj, H Suh, ...

Biomacromolecules 14 (5), 1434-1443


Efficiency of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus sajor-caju) on degradation of different agro wastes.

SS Kumar, SS Sathish, J John, M Kamaraj

Journal of Ecobiology 25 (4), 337-341


Materials for biology and medicine

MS Selim, SA El-Safty, MA Shenashen, SA Higazy, A Elmarakbi, S Chen, ...


CHEMNANOMAT

JV John, A McCarthy, A Karan, J Xie