A research team at Sungkyunkwan University, led by Professor Suk Ho Bhang of the Department of Chemical Engineering and at Gachon University, led by Professor TaeIl Lee of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, has developed a novel 3D cell culture platform using a ‘Free-Standing (FS) Device,’ signaling a transformative leap in next-generation tissue regeneration and stem cell therapy. This technology enables rapid and highly efficient cell compaction and spheroidization, with its therapeutic potential validated in animal models.

To overcome the complexity and time-consuming limitations of conventional 3D culture methods, the team engineered a levitated cell culture system using acoustic standing waves within a liquid medium. The FS Device suspends cells in mid-air, facilitating their autonomous assembly into dense, uniform spheroids. The foundational studies were previously published in Bioengineering & Translational Medicine (2022) and Biomaterials Research (2023).

In the most recent advancement, Professors Suk Ho Bhang (Chemical Engineering) and Jeeheon Jeong (Medicine) collaborated to develop a new FS Device-based cell culture method aimed at significantly enhancing islet transplantation for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. This study achieved the formation of high-functionality heterotypic pseudo-islets (Hislets) within just 20 hours—dramatically reducing the 5+ days typically required for pseudo-islet formation. The findings were published in Bioactive Materials (Impact Factor: 18.9, JCR Top 1%) in May 2025.

Paper Title: Subaqueous acoustic pressure system based one day heterotypic pseudo-islet spheroid formation with adipose derived stem cells for graft survival-related function enhancement

First Authors: Dr. Jiyu Hyun, Mr. Junhyeong Park (Ph.D. candidate)
Corresponding Authors: Prof. Hyun-ji Park, Prof. Dong Yun Lee, Prof. Jee-Heon Jeong, Prof. Suk Ho Bhang
Journal: Bioactive Materials, Volume 51, Pages 276–292
DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2025.05.005