Xu Group: Nanomaterials for biomedical applications
Vision
The vision of the Xu group is to use nanoscale materials and advantage techniques to address important medical and dental problems.
Research Focus
Nanomaterials possess unique physical, chemical and biological properties due to the nanosize effects and offer various advantages for biomedical applications. Our research interest includes two parts: fundamental research about nanomaterials and nano-bio interactions, and translational medical/dental applications. Specifically, our research includes the design and synthesis of functional nanomaterials, revealing their interaction with biological systems, and explores their biomedical applications including drug delivery, gene therapy, bone and dental tissue regeneration.
Grants
NHMRC Early Career Fellowship: Functional nano-cement scaffolds for the treatment of osteoporotic bone defects
UQ Early Career Researcher Grant: Three-Dimensional Printing of Functional Mesoporous Bioceramics for Craniofacial Regeneration
ADRF Research Grant: Novel bioactive nanoparticles induced fast growth of nano-hydroxyapatite for dentin hypersensitivity treatment
ADRF Research Grant: Enhanced osseointegration on growth factor releasing anodized 3D printed titanium dental implants with titania nanotubes
ADRF Research Grant: Nano-engineered membrane as an efficient growth factor delivery system for periodontal tissue regeneration
HaBS Research Collaboration Seeding Grant
Current projects
Functional nano-cement scaffolds for bone repair
Osteoporosis affects 1.2 million Australians and will cost $33.6 billion by 2022. This study aims to develop a novel nano-cement platform for custom-designed bone repair in osteoporosis, by using purpose-designed nanomaterials and advanced 3D printing technique. The research findings will lead to the development of a new bone repair strategy, expand knowledge on both biomaterials engineering and osteoporosis treatment, and improve the quality of life of Australians.
Smart Nanomachine for drug delivery
Nanoparticles possess unique physical, chemical and biological properties due to the nanosize effects and offer various advantages for biomedical applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are of special interest due to their good biocompatibility, high stability, rigid framework, well-defined pore structure, easily controllable morphology and tuneable surface chemistry. MSNs based delivery systems offer a promising strategy to improve the drawbacks of traditional therapeutic drugs such as low stability and difficulty of crossing the cell membranes. In this project we will develop novel smart MSNs which enable the loading and delivery of large therapeutic molecules including proteins and genes.
Select publications
- Chang Lei†, Yuxue Cao†, Sepanta Hosseinpour, Fang Gao, Jingyu Liu, Jianye Fu, Reuben Staples, Saso Ivanovski*, Chun Xu*, Hierarchical dual porous hydroxyapatite doped dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles based scaffold promote osteogenesis in vitro and in vivo, Nano Research, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-020-3112-2 (IF 8.183, corresponding author)
Huimin Li, Huilin Guo, Chang Lei, Li Liu, Li-Qin Xu, Ya-Ping Feng, Jin Ke, Wei Fang, Hao Song, Chun Xu*, Chengzhong Yu*, Xing Long*, Nanotherapy in joints: increasing endogenous hyaluronan production by delivering hyaluronan synthase 2, Advanced Materials, 2019, 10.1002/adma.201904535 (*corresponding author, selected as back cover, highlighted by MaterialsviewChina) (IF 27.398)- Chun Xu, Chang Lei, Lili Huang, Jun Zhang, Hongwei Zhang, Hao Song, Meihua Yu, Yeda Wu, Chen Chen*, and Chengzhong Yu*, Glucose-Responsive Nanosystem Mimicking the Physiological Insulin Secretion via an Enzyme–Polymer Layer-by-Layer Coating Strategy, Chemistry of Materials, 2017, 29 (18), 7725–7732 (IF 10.159)
Chun Xu, Meihua Yu, Owen Noonan, Jun Zhang, Hao Song, Hongwei Zhang, Chang Lei, Yuting Niu, Xiaodan Huang, Yannan Yang, Chengzhong Yu*, Core-cone Structured Monodispersed Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles with Ultra-large Cavity for Protein Delivery, Small, 2015, 11, 5949–5955 (IF 10.856, highlighted in MaterialsViews China)- Chun Xu, Lan Xiao, Yuxue Cao, Yan He, Chang Lei, Yin Xiao, Wujin Sun, Samad Ahadian, Xueting Zhou, Ali Khademhosseini*, Qingsong Ye*, Mesoporous silica rods with cone shaped pores modulate inflammation and deliver BMP-2 for bone regeneration, Nano Research, 2020, http://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-020-2783-z (IF 8.183, selected as front cover, highlighted)
Winda Tasia, Chang Lei, Yuxue Cao, Qingsong Ye, Yan He*, Chun Xu*, Eradication of bacterial biofilms using DNase 1-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles, Nanoscale, 2020, DOI: 10.1039/C9NR08467C (corresponding author, selected as back cover) (IF 6.970)- Chun Xu*, Yuexue Cao, Chang Lei, Zhihao Li, Tushar Kumeria, Anand Meka, Jingyu Liu, Cheng Yan, Lihua Luo, Ali Khademhosseini, Amirali Popat*, Yan He, Qingsong Ye*, Polymer-Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle Core-Shell Nanofibers as a Dual Drug Delivery System for Guided Tissue Regeneration, ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2020, 3, 2, 1457-1467 http://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.9b02298 (corresponding author)
- Chun Xu*, Chang Lei, Chengzhong Yu*, Mesoporous silica nanoparticles for protein protection and delivery, Frontier in Chemistry, 2019, invited review for special collection “Frontiers in Chemistry: Rising stars”, DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00290 (corresponding author) (IF 4.115)
- Chun Xu, Yan He, Zhihao Li, Ahmad Nor Yusilawatib, Qingsong Ye*, Nanoengineered hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles for the delivery of antimicrobial protein into biofilm, Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2018, 6, 1899, DOI: 10.1039/C7TB03201C (IF 5.047)
- Sepanta Hosseinpour, Laurence Walsh, Chun Xu*, Biomedical application of mesoporous silica nanoparticles as delivery system: A biological-safety perspective, Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2020, DOI: 10.1039/D0TB01868F (IF 5.047, corresponding author)
- Sepanta Hosseinpour, Yuxue Cao, Jingyu Liu, Chun Xu*, Laurence J. Walsh*, Efficient transfection and long-term stability of mesoporous silica nanoparticles with large pores for osteogenic miRNA delivery, Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2021, DOI: 10.1039/D0TB02756A (IF 5.047, corresponding author)
- Sepanta Hosseinpour, Chun Xu*, Laurence Walsh*, Impact of photobiomodulation using four diode laser wavelengths of on cationic liposome gene transfection into pre-osteoblast cells, Journal of Photochemistry & Photobiology, B: Biology, 2021, 215,112108 (IF 4.383, corresponding author)
- Danilo Carluccio†, Chun Xu†, Jeffrey Venezuela, Yuxue Cao, Damon Kent, Michael Bermingham, Ali Gökhan Demir, Barbara Previtali, Qingsong Ye*, Matthew Dargusch*, Additively Manufactured Iron-Manganese for Biodegradable Porous Bone Scaffold Applications, Acta Biomaterialia, 2019，doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2019.12.018 (†these authors contributed equally to this work) (IF 6.319)
Huimin Li, Huilin Guo, Chang Lei, Li Liu, Li-Qin Xu, Ya-Ping Feng, Jin Ke, Wei Fang, Hao Song, Chun Xu*, Chengzhong Yu*, Xing Long*, Nanotherapy in joints: increasing endogenous hyaluronan production by delivering hyaluronan synthase 2, Advanced Materials, 2019, 
Chun Xu, Meihua Yu, Owen Noonan, Jun Zhang, Hao Song, Hongwei Zhang, Chang Lei, Yuting Niu, Xiaodan Huang, Yannan Yang, Chengzhong Yu*, Core-cone Structured Monodispersed Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles with Ultra-large Cavity for Protein Delivery, Small, 2015, 11, 5949–5955 (IF 10.856, highlighted in MaterialsViews China)
Winda Tasia, Chang Lei, Yuxue Cao, Qingsong Ye, Yan He*, Chun Xu*, Eradication of bacterial biofilms using DNase 1-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles, Nanoscale, 2020, DOI: 10.1039/C9NR08467C (corresponding author, selected as back cover) (IF 6.970)Opportunities
The Xu group is looking for highly motivated and talented MPhil and PhD candidates to join our team and address the fundamental questions in nanotechnology, drug delivery and tissue engineering. Please email your CV, a brief description of your previous work and your research interests to be sent to Dr Chun Xu (chun.xu@uq.edu.au) if interested.