Min Lee, Ph.D.
UCLA School of Dentistry
23-032B CHS
10833 Le Conte Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668
Phone: (310) 825-4420
Fax: (310) 825-6345
Email: leemin@ucla.edu
Research Lab Webpage
Educational and Professional Background
- 1997 B.S., Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, Materials Science and Engineering
- 1999 M.S., Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, Materials Science and Engineering
- 2007 Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, CA, Biomedical Engineering
Min Lee, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Section of Biomaterials in the Division of Advanced Prosthodontics at the UCLA School of Dentistry.
Research/Creative Activities/Honors
• Biomaterials processing and characterization
• Computer-aided tissue engineering (CATE)
• Bone regeneration with biomimetic apatites and novel osteogenic factors
• Cartilage regeneration with injectable systems
• Intestinal tissue engineering
• Protein and non-viral gene delivery systems for complex tissue regeneration
• Targeted nanoparticles for anti-cancer drug delivery
Research Description
Research in the Lee group focuses on the development of biomimetic polymer systems for tissue regeneration and drug delivery applications. His research interests are:
i) Customized biomimetic scaffolds. Dr. Lee is developing a novel computer-designed, biomimetic scaffolding system to maximize bone regeneration. This system consists of three-dimensional polymer scaffolds with well-defined geometries on the macro- and micro-scales created from a printing technique in conjunction with biomimetic processing strategy to confer bone mineral-mimicking apatite microenvironment and osteogenic signaling molecules.
ii) Controlled release. Direct therapeutic applications of drug molecules require high doses and repeated injections of protein drugs due to their rapid degradation in the body. Dr. Lee’s research interests are in the development of injectable/implantable systems for the delivery of growth factors in a sustained, combinatorial, or sequential manner. He is currently applying these systems to engineer a variety of tissue types, including bone, cartilage, smooth muscle, and maxillofacial tissues.
iii) Photopolymerizable hydrogel systems. Dr. Lee is developing injectable formulations of cells and bioactive molecules using photopolymerization techniques, which allow processing in situ at physiological conditions in a minimally invasive manner. This system is currently being tested in vitro and in animal models for the repair of cartilage defects.
Research Grants
NIH/NIDCR R21 DE021819, Principal Investigator, 2012–2014
• Biomimetic Scaffold Delivering Osteogenic Molecules for Alveolar Bone Engineering
NIH/NIAMS R01 AR060213, Principal Investigator, 2011–2016
• Combined Effect of Noggin Suppression and Nell-1 on Bone Regeneration
IADR/Academy of Osseointegration Innovation in Implant Sciences Award, Principal Investigator, 2011–2013
• A Novel Computer-Designed, Biomimetic Scaffold for Bone Regeneration
NIH/NIDDK R01 DK083319, James Dunn (PI), Min Lee (Co-Investigator), 2010–2013
• Intestinal Tissue Engineering
Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation Transdisciplinary Team Grant, Maie St. John (PI), Min Lee (Co-Investigator), 2010–2013
• Investigation of a Novel Apatite-coated PLGA Scaffold for Bone Formation and Regeneration
UC Discovery Grant Bio07-10677, Ben Wu (PI), Min Lee (Co-PI), 2008–2011
• Novel Growth Factor for Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering
UCLA Academic Senate Research Award, Principal Investigator, 2011–2012
• A Novel Injectable Hydrogel for Treatment of Cartilage Defects
Selected Publications
- Park H, Choi B, Hu J, Lee M. Injectable Chitosan Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels for Cartilage Tissue Engineering. Acta Biomaterialia [in press].
- Hu J, Hou Y, Park H, Lee M. Beta Tricalcium Phosphate Particles as a Controlled Release Carrier of Osteogenic Proteins for Bone Tissue Engineering. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research A 100(7):1680-86, 2012.
- Hu J, Hou Y, Park H, Choi B, Hou S, Chung A, Lee M. Visible Light Crosslinkable Chitosan Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering. Acta Biomaterialia 8(5):1730-38, 2012.
- Hou Y, Hu J, Park H, Lee M. Chitosan based Nanoparticles as a Sustained Protein Release Carrier for Tissue Engineering Applications. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research A 100(4):939-47, 2012.
- Siu R, Zara J, Hou Y, Li W, Kwak J, James A, Zhang X, Ting K, Wu BM, Soo C, Lee M. Cartilage regeneration mediated by Nell-1 in a rabbit cartilage defect model. Tissue Engineering part A 18:252-61, 2012.
- Levi B, Wan DC, Glotzbach J, Hyun JS, Januszyk M, Montoro D, Sorkin M, James AW, Nelson ER, Li S, , Quarto N, Lee M, Gurtner G, Longaker MT. CD105 depletion enhances human adipose-derived stromal cell osteogenesis through reduction of TGF-β1 signaling. Journal of Biological Chemistry 286(45):39497-509, 2011.
- Levi B, Nelson E, Li S, Jeong Hyun, Jia F, Glotzbach J, James AW, Wan DC , Montoro D , Lee M, Huang M, Quarto N, Gurtner G, Wu J, Longaker MT. Non-Integrating Knockdown and Customized Scaffold Design Enhances Human Adipose Derived Stem Cells in Skeletal Repair. Stem Cells 29(12):2018-29, 2011.
- Levi B, Nelson E, Li S, James AW, Montoro D, Lee M, Commons GW, Longaker MT. Dura Mater Stimulates Human adipose-derived Stromal Cells to Undergo Bone Formation in Mouse Calvarial Defects. Stem Cells 29(8):1241-55, 2011.
- Levi B., James AW, Nelson ER, Peng M, Li S, Commons GW, Lee M, Wu BM, Longaker MT. Human Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells Stimulate Autogenous Skeletal Healing via Paracrine Interaction with Calvarial Osteoblasts. Stem Cells and Development 20(2):243-57, 2011.
- James AW, Levi B, Nelson ER, Peng M, Commons GW, Lee M, Wu BM, Longaker MT. Deleterious Effects of Freezing on Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells In Vitro. Stem Cells and Development 20(3):427-39, 2011.
- Lee M, Siu R, Kang T, Wu BM. Effect of Nell-1 Delivery on Chondrocyte Proliferation and Cartilaginous Extracellular Matrix Deposition. Tissue Engineering part A 16:1791-800, 2010.
- Li W*, Lee M*, Whang J, Siu R, Zhang X, Kang T, Wu BM, Wang JC, Soo C. (*Co-first authors) Delivery of Lyophilized Nell-1 in a Rat Spinal Fusion Model. Tissue Engineering part A, 16:2861-2870, 2010.
- Zheng Z, Yin W, Zara J, Li W, Kwak J, Mamidi R, Lee M, Siu R, Ngo R, Wang J, Carpenter D, Zhang X, Wu BM, Kang T, Soo C. The Use of BMP-2 Coupled - Nanosilver-PLGA Composite Grafts to Induce Bone Repair in Grossly Infected Segmental Defects. Biomaterials 31(35):9293-300, 2010.
- Levi B, James AW, Nelson ER, Vistnes D, Wu BM, Lee M, Gupta A, Longaker MT. Human Adipose Derived Stromal Cells Heal Critical Size Mouse Calvarial Defects. PLoS ONE 17;5(6):e11177, 2010.
- Jack GS, Zhang R, Lee M, Xu Y, Wu BM, Rodriguez LV. Adipose Stem Cells to Regenerate Functional Urinary Bladder. Biomaterials 30:3259-3270, 2009.
- Lee M, Li W, Siu R, Whang J, Zhang X, Soo C, Kang T, Wu BM. Biomimetic Apatite-Coated Alginate/Chitosan Microparticles as Osteogenic Protein Carriers. Biomaterials 30:6094-6101, 2009.
- Lee M, Wu BM, Dunn JC. Effect of Architecture and Pore Size of Scaffolds on the Cell Growth. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research A 87:1010-1019, 2008.
- Lee M, Wu BM., Stelzner M, Reichardt HM, Dunn JC. Intestinal Smooth Muscle Cell Maintenance by Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor. Tissue Engineering part A 14:1395-1402, 2008.
- Lee M, Chang CY, Dunn JC. Evaluation of Small Intestinal Submucosa as a Small Bowel Graft. Journal of Surgical Research 147:168-171, 2008.
- Lee M, Chen TT, Iruela-Arispe ML, Wu BM, Dunn JC. Modulation of Protein Delivery from Modular Polymer Scaffolds. Biomaterials 28:1862-1870, 2007.
- Lee M, Dunn JC, Wu BM. Scaffold Fabrication by Indirect Three-dimensional Printing. Biomaterials 26:4281-4289, 2005.
Courses taught at UCLA
RFE102, Dental Materials (Course Chair)
RFE400, Advanced Materials and Biomechanics (Course Chair)
RFE104, Direct Restoration (Guest Lecturer)
RFE202, Direct Restoration (Guest Lecturer)
RFE207, Direct Restoration (Guest Lecturer)
Professional Memberships and Activities
Academy of Osseointegration
American Association for Dental Research
Dental Research Institute
International Association for Dental Research
Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Society for Biomaterials