Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Alcohol Increases Lung Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Expression And Exacerbates Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Spike Protein Subunit 1–Induced Acute Lung Injury In K18-Hace2 Transgenic Mice, Pavel A. Solopov, Ruben Manuel Luciano Colunga Biancatelli, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

During the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, alcohol consumption increased markedly. Nearly one in four adults reported drinking more alcohol to cope with stress. Chronic alcohol abuse is now recognized as a factor complicating the course of acute respiratory distress syndrome. and increasing mortality. To investigate the mechanisms behind this interaction, we developed a combined acute respiratory distress syndrome and chronic alcohol abuse mouse model by intratracheally instilling the S1 subunit of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S1SP) in K18-human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) transgenic mice that express the human ACE2 receptor for SARS-CoV-2 and are kept on an …

The Heat Shock Protein 90 Inhibitor, At13387, Protects The Alveolo-Capillary Barrier And Prevents Hci-Induced Chronic Lung Injury And Pulmonary Fibrosis, Ruben M.L. Colunga Biancatelli, Pavel Solopov, Christiana Dimitropoulou, Betsy Gregory, Tierney Day, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

Hydrochloric acid (HCl) exposure causes asthma-like conditions, reactive airways dysfunction syndrome, and pulmonary fibrosis. Heat Shock Protein 90 (HSP90) is a molecular chaperone that regulates multiple cellular processes. HSP90 inhibitors are undergoing clinical trials for cancer and are also being studied in various pre-clinical settings for their anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects. Here we investigated the ability of the heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor AT13387 to prevent chronic lung injury induced by exposure to HCl in vivo and its protective role in the endothelial barrier in vitro. We instilled C57Bl/6J mice with 0.1N HCl (2 µL/g body weight, intratracheally) and …

Flexible Battery-Less Wireless Glucose Monitoring System, Saikat Banerjee, Gymama Slaughter

Bioelectrics Publications

In this work, a low power microcontroller-based near field communication (NFC) interfaced with a flexible abiotic glucose hybrid fuel cell is designed to function as a battery-less glucose sensor. The abiotic glucose fuel cell is fabricated by depositing colloidal platinum (co–Pt) on the anodic region and silver oxide nanoparticles-multiwalled carbon nanotubes (Ag₂O-MWCNTs) composite on the cathodic region. The electrochemical behavior is characterized using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. This glucose hybrid fuel cell generated an open circuit voltage of 0.46 V, short circuit current density of 0.444 mA/cm2, and maximum power density of 0.062 mW/cm² at 0.26 V …

The Paradox Of Pulmonary Vascular Resistance: Restoration Of Pulmonary Capillary Recruitment As A Sine Qua Non For True Therapeutic Success In Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, David Langleben, Stylianos E. Orfanos, Benjamin D. Fox, Nathan Messas, Michele Giovinazzo, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

Exercise-induced increases in pulmonary blood flow normally increase pulmonary arterial pressure only minimally, largely due to a reserve of pulmonary capillaries that are available for recruitment to carry the flow. In pulmonary arterial hypertension, due to precapillary arteriolar obstruction, such recruitment is greatly reduced. In exercising pulmonary arterial hypertension patients, pulmonary arterial pressure remains high and may even increase further. Current pulmonary arterial hypertension therapies, acting principally as vasodilators, decrease calculated pulmonary vascular resistance by increasing pulmonary blood flow but have a minimal effect in lowering pulmonary arterial pressure and do not restore significant capillary recruitment. Novel pulmonary arterial hypertension …

In Vitro And In Vivo Correlation Of Skin And Cellular Responses To Nucleic Acid Delivery, M. Bosnjak, K. Znidar, A. Sales Conniff, T. Jesenko, B. Markelc, Nina Semenova, J. Tur, K. Kohena, S. Kranjc Brezar, L. Heller, M. Cemazar

Bioelectrics Publications

Skin, the largest organ in the body, provides a passive physical barrier against infection and contains elements of the innate and adaptive immune systems. Skin consists of various cells, including keratinocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells and immune cells. This diversity of cell types could be important to gene therapies because DNA transfection could elicit different responses in different cell types. Previously, we observed the upregulation and activation of cytosolic DNA sensing pathways in several non-tumor and tumor cell types as well in tumors after the electroporation (electrotransfer) of plasmid DNA (pDNA). Based on this research and the innate immunogenicity of …

Electroporation And Cell Killing By Milli- To Nanosecond Pulses And Avoiding Neuromuscular Stimulation In Cancer Ablation, Emily Gudvangen, Vitalii Kim, Vitalij Novickij, Federico Battista, Andrei G. Pakhomov

Bioelectrics Publications

Ablation therapies aim at eradication of tumors with minimal impact on surrounding healthy tissues. Conventional pulsed electric field (PEF) treatments cause pain and muscle contractions far beyond the ablation area. The ongoing quest is to identify PEF parameters efficient at ablation but not at stimulation. We measured electroporation and cell killing thresholds for 150 ns–1 ms PEF, uni- and bipolar, delivered in 10- to 300-pulse trains at up to 1 MHz rates. Monolayers of murine colon carcinoma cells exposed to PEF were stained with YO-PRO-1 dye to detect electroporation. In 2–4 h, dead cells were labeled with propidium. Electroporation and …

Type-B Energetic Processes And Their Associated Scientific Implications, James Weifu Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Recently, our work has identified two thermodynamically distinct types (A and B) of energetic processes naturally occurring on Earth. Type-A energy processes such as the classical heat engines, ATP hydrolysis, and many of the known chemical, electrical, and mechanical processes apparently follow well the second law of thermodynamics; Type-B energy processes, for example, the newly discovered thermotropic function that isothermally utilizes environmental heat energy to do useful work in driving ATP synthesis, follow the first law of thermodynamics (conservation of mass and energy) but do not have to be constrained by the second law, owing to its special asymmetric functions. …

The Hitran2020 Molecular Spectroscopic Database, I. E. Gordon, L. S. Rothman, R. J. Hargreaves, R. Hashemi, E. V. Karlovets, F. M. Skinner, E. K. Conway, C. Hill, R. V. Kochanov, Y. Tan, P. Wcisło, A.A. Finenko, K. Nelson, P. F. Bernath, M. Birk, V. Boudon, A. Campargue, K. V. Chance, A. Coustenis, B. J. Drouin, J.-M. Flaud, R. R. Gamache, J. T. Hodges, D. Jacquemart, E. J. Mlawer, A. V. Nikitin, V.I. Perevalov, M. Rotger, J. Tennyson, G. C. Toon, H. Tran, V. G. Tyuterev, E. M. Adkins, A. Baker, A. Barbe, E. Canè, A. G. Császár, A. Dudaryonok, O. Egorov, A. J. Fleisher, H. Fleurbaey, A. Foltynowicz, T. Furtenbacher, J. J. Harrison, J.M. Hartmann, V.- M. Horneman, X. Huang, T. Karman, J. Karns, S. Kassi, I. Kleiner, V. Kofman, F. Kwabia-Tchana, N.N. Lavrentieva, T. J. Lee, D. A. Long, A. A. Lukashevskaya, O. M. Lyulin, V. Yu Makhnev, W. Matt, S. T. Massie, M. Melosso, S. N. Mikhailenko, D. Mondelain, H.S.P. Müller, O. V. Naumenko, A. Perrin, O. L. Polyansky, E. Raddaoui, P. L. Raston, Z. D. Reed, M. Rey, C. Richard, R. Tóbiás, I. Sadiek, D. W. Schwenke, E. Starikova, K. Sung, F. Tamassia, S. A. Tashkun, J. Vander Auwera, I.A. Vasilenko, A.A. Vigasin, G.L. Villanueva, B. Vispoel, G. Wagner, A. Yachmenev, S. N. Yurchenko

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The HITRAN database is a compilation of molecular spectroscopic parameters. It was established in the early 1970s and is used by various computer codes to predict and simulate the transmission and emission of light in gaseous media (with an emphasis on terrestrial and planetary atmospheres). The HITRAN compilation is composed of five major components: the line-by-line spectroscopic parameters required for high-resolution radiative-transfer codes, experimental infrared absorption cross-sections (for molecules where it is not yet feasible for representation in a line-by-line form), collision-induced absorption data, aerosol indices of refraction, and general tables (including partition sums) that apply globally to the data. …

Atmospheric Air Plasma Streamers Deliver Nanosecond Pulses For Focused Electroporation, Shu Xiao, Carol Zhou, Eric Appia, Shirshak Dhali

Bioelectrics Publications

Background: For electrotherapies that involve electrodes and high-intensity electric fields, such as in tissue ablation, we report a method of pulse delivery that can focus the electric field away from the electrodes, as demonstrated in vitro.

Materials and Methods: To electroporate cells in a monolayer seeded in a 35 mm culture dish, two atmospheric-pressure plasma channels generated by two thin, copper foil electrodes above the surface of the solution provided the current and established the electric field.

Results: Depending on the pulse duration, the plasma channels were observed as corona (100 ns), streamer (300 ns), and mixture of streamer …

Alkaline Plasma-Activated Water (Paw) As An Innovative Therapeutic Avenue For Cancer Treatment, Bolun Pang, Zhijie Liu, Sitao Wang, Yuting Gao, Miao Qi, Dehui Xu, Renwu Zhou, Dingxin Liu, Michael G. Kong

Bioelectrics Publications

Plasma-activated water (PAW) is considered to be an effective anticancer agent due to the diverse aqueous reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS: ROS and RNS), but the drawback of low dose and short duration of RONS in acidified PAW limits their clinical application. Herein, this Letter presents an innovative therapeutic avenue for cancer treatment with highly-effective alkaline PAW prepared by air surface plasma. This anticancer alkaline formulation is comprised of a rich mixture of highly chemical RONS and exhibited a prolonged half-life compared to acidified PAW. The H₂O₂, NO₂-, and ONOO^-/O_{2 …}

Design And Synthesis Of Α-Anomeric Diacetylene-Containing Glycosides As Photopolymerizable Molecular Gelators, Guijun Wang, Dan Wang, Anji Chen, Ifeanyi S. Okafor, Lalith Palitha Samankumara

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Glycolipids with diacetylene functional groups are fascinating compounds with many practical uses. Among these, diacetylene-containing gelators are especially important because they can form photopolymerizable gels, which are useful stimuli-responsive materials. Inspired by the unique properties of diacetylene-containing gelators and to understand the structural influences especially the location of the diacetylene functional groups on the self-assembling properties, a series of 15 novel N-acetyl-d-glucosamine derivatives with the diacetylene functional group introduced at the anomeric position were designed and synthesized. The diacetylene function is attached to the sugar through α-glycosylation with the distance from the anomeric oxygen being varied from one, two, …

Neuromotor Changes In Participants With A Concussion History Can Be Detected With A Custom Smartphone App, Christopher K. Rhea, Masahiro Yamada, Nikita A. Kuznetsov, Jason T. Jakiela, Chanel T. Lojacono, Scott E. Ross, F. J. Haran, Jason M. Bailie, W. Geoffrey Wright

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Neuromotor dysfunction after a concussion is common, but balance tests used to assess neuromotor dysfunction are typically subjective. Current objective balance tests are either cost- or space-prohibitive, or utilize a static balance protocol, which may mask neuromotor dysfunction due to the simplicity of the task. To address this gap, our team developed an Android-based smartphone app (portable and cost-effective) that uses the sensors in the device (objective) to record movement profiles during a stepping-in-place task (dynamic movement). The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which our custom smartphone app and protocol could discriminate neuromotor behavior between …

The Aquatic Particle Number Quandry, Alexander B. Bochdansky, Huanqing Huang, Maureen H. Conte

OES Faculty Publications

Optical surveys of aquatic particles and their particle size spectra have become important tools in studies of light propagation in water, classification of water masses, and the dynamics of trophic interactions affecting particle aggregation and flux. Here, we demonstrate that typical settings used in image analysis vastly underestimate particle numbers due to the particle – gel continuum. Applying a wide range of threshold values to change the sensitivity of our detection system, we show that macrogels cannot be separated from more dense particles, and that a true particle number per volume cannot be ascertained; only relative numbers in relation to …

Eye Movement And Pupil Measures: A Review, Bhanuka Mahanama, Yasith Jayawardana, Sundararaman Rengarajan, Gavindya Jayawardena, Leanne Chukoskie, Joseph Snider, Sampath Jayarathna

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Our subjective visual experiences involve complex interaction between our eyes, our brain, and the surrounding world. It gives us the sense of sight, color, stereopsis, distance, pattern recognition, motor coordination, and more. The increasing ubiquity of gaze-aware technology brings with it the ability to track gaze and pupil measures with varying degrees of fidelity. With this in mind, a review that considers the various gaze measures becomes increasingly relevant, especially considering our ability to make sense of these signals given different spatio-temporal sampling capacities. In this paper, we selectively review prior work on eye movements and pupil measures. We first …

Customer Gaze Estimation In Retail Using Deep Learning, Shashimal Senarath, Primesh Pathirana, Dulani Meedeniya, Sampath Jayarathna

Computer Science Faculty Publications

At present, intelligent computing applications are widely used in different domains, including retail stores. The analysis of customer behaviour has become crucial for the benefit of both customers and retailers. In this regard, the concept of remote gaze estimation using deep learning has shown promising results in analyzing customer behaviour in retail due to its scalability, robustness, low cost, and uninterrupted nature. This study presents a three-stage, three-attention-based deep convolutional neural network for remote gaze estimation in retail using image data. In the first stage, we design a mechanism to estimate the 3D gaze of the subject using image data …

Load Sharing Assessment Of Osseoligamentous Structures Within A Thoracic Spine Segment During Surgical Release, Michael Polanco, James Bennett, Austin Tapp, Michel Audette, Stacie Ringleb, Sebastian Bawab

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Spinal surgical procedures often require release of intervertebral discs and ligaments to optimally achieve postural correction on a patient-specific basis. In this paper, a T7-T8 Finite Element (FE) model is utilized to examine internal load sharing during resection steps performed in a Ponte osteotomy. The FE model was rotated bidirectionally along three anatomical planes using an externally applied moment. In each step, the Ranges of Motion (RoM), Instantaneous Centers of Rotation (ICR), and forces from ligaments, discs, facet, and costovertebral joints were calculated. The product of each component’s force and the distance between the ICR and their position were used …

Subtalar Joint Definition In Biomechanical Models, Julia Noginova

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The effect of including a subtalar joint in a dynamic musculoskeletal model has not been fully explored or validated. The subtalar joint is often modeled as a one DOF hinge with the tri-planar axis defined as a combination of inclination and deviation angles measured from the ground and midline of the foot, respectively. The overall purposes of this dissertation were to explore how the inclusion of the subtalar joint and the definition of origin location and axis orientation affect the kinematics, joint kinetics, and muscle activations of the knee, ankle, and subtalar joint during dynamic tasks of walking and running …

Generation, Analysis, And Evaluation Of Patient-Specific, Osteoligamentous, Spine Meshes, Austin R. Tapp

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine, is traditionally corrected with bracing treatments or by a highly invasive posterior spinal fusion (PSF) operation. These correction strategies are constrained by current imaging modalities, which fail to elucidate the soft tissue anatomy that is known to play a critical role in spinal stiffness and overall structure. Osteoligamentous segmentations of the spinal column offer a foundation for downstream finite element (FE) studies seeking to optimize bracing treatments or determine ideal surgical approaches.

This thesis presents methods for automatically and semi-automatically segmenting vertebrae and surrounding soft tissues of the spinal column using X-ray computed …

The Investigations Of Nps Modulated Immunity And Immunometabolism, Brittney Leigh Ruedlinger

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Cancers remain in the top noncommunicable diseases responsible for premature mortality. The heterogeneity among cancers and within tumors makes treating them ever more challenging. Our misfortune for developing cures is mocked by cancer, with the lowest probability of success (PoS) through clinical trials and FDA approval. At the basic level, there are generally two broad gaps impeding cancer eradication: the unidentified shared mechanism(s) exploited by all cancers and the therapeutic approach to intervene. Nanosecond pulse stimulation (NPS) offers a unique approach since its broad impacts intersect those often hijacked by oncogenesis. Metabolic pathways, known for dysfunctions among cancers, share a …

Electrohydrodynamic Simulations Of Capsule Deformation Using A Dual Time-Stepping Lattice Boltzmann Scheme, Charles Leland Armstrong

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

Capsules are fluid-filled, elastic membranes that serve as a useful model for synthetic and biological membranes. One prominent application of capsules is their use in modeling the response of red blood cells to external forces. These models can be used to study the cell’s material properties and can also assist in the development of diagnostic equipment. In this work we develop a three dimensional model for numerical simulations of red blood cells under the combined influence of hydrodynamic and electrical forces. The red blood cell is modeled as a biconcave-shaped capsule suspended in an ambient fluid domain. Cell deformation occurs …

Evaluation Of Horizontal Gene Transfer Between Genetically Engineered Cyanobacteria And Gram-Negative Bacteria, Andriana Chrysovalanti Zourou

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

As the world population is increasing and societies become more technology driven, there is an imperative to develop ‘green energy’ sources to protect our planet. Cyanobacteria that have been genetically engineered to produce organic compounds that may be burnt as fuels show great potential, as they are an environmentally friendly and self-renewable, net carbon-neutral option. However, there are potential risks in the development and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). We need to understand in advance the risks that GMOs may pose to our environment and to animal and human health. This will enable experimental procedures, containment strategies and policies …

Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of Ion Transport Through Electrically Stressed Biological Membranes, Federica Castellani

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The cell membrane is a selectively permeable barrier that controls the transport of ions, molecules, and other materials into and out of a cell. The manipulation of the cell membrane permeability is the basis for several biotechnological and biomedical applications, including electroporation. Electroporation (or electropermeabilization) occurs when the application of an external electric pulse causes water intrusion into the membrane interior and the formation of conductive transmembrane electropores. These electropores allow drugs, genetic material, and other normally impermeant molecules to enter a cell. Despite years of study, the complex mechanisms underlying this process are still not well understood. Molecular dynamics …

Integrative Computational Analysis Of Muscle Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Signals: Effects Of Oxygen Delivery And Blood Volume, Bhabuk Koirala

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive technology to evaluate skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism in healthy and disease states. This technology allows us to measure the dynamic response of oxygenated (Δ����������₂) and deoxygenated (Δ����������) heme group concentrations during muscle contraction. These O₂ kinetics are valuable for inferring the interplay between muscle oxygen delivery and utilization. However, the semi-quantitative nature of the NIRS signal limits its clinical application. Some of the challenges in interpreting the NIRS signal are related to the difficulties in quantifying the: 1) contribution of blood volume changes to the Δ����������₂ and Δ����������; 2) contribution …

The Impact Of Nanopulse Treatment On The Tumor Microenvironment In Breast Cancer: Overturning The Treg Immunosuppressive Dominance, Anthony Nanajian

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Nanopulse treatment (NPT) is a high-power electric engineering modality that has been shown to be an effective local tumor treatment approach in multiple cancer models. Our previous studies on the orthotopic 4T1-luc breast cancer model demonstrated that NPT ablated local tumors. The treatment consequently conferred protection against a second live tumor challenge and minimized spontaneous metastasis. This study aims to understand how NPT mounts a potent immune response in a predominantly immunosuppressive tumor.

NPT changed the local and systemic dynamics of immunosuppressive cells by significantly reducing the numbers of regulatory T cells (Tregs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and tumor-associated macrophages …

Automatic Generation And Novel Validation Of Patient-Specific, Anatomically Inclusive Scoliosis Models For Biomechanics-Informed Surgical Planning, Austin Tapp, Michel Audette, James Bennett

College of Engineering & Technology (Batten) Posters

Scoliosis is an abnormal spinal curvature of greater than 10 degrees. Severe scoliotic deformities are addressed with highly invasive procedures: anterior or posterior spinal fusion approaches. This invasiveness is due, in part, to the constraints of current surgical planning, which utilizes computed tomography (CT) scans unable to discern spinal ligaments that are dissected to make the spine sufficiently compliant for correction. If localization of ligaments and soft tissues were achieved pre-operatively, corrective procedures could become safer and more efficient by using finite element (FE) biomechanical simulations to determine decreased incidences of ligament releases. This research aims to achieve ligament localization …

Musculoskeletal Modeling Of The Pelvis And Lumbar Spine During Running, Ruth Higgins, Maryam Moeini, Hunter Bennett, Stacie Ringleb

College of Engineering & Technology (Batten) Posters

Musculoskeletal modeling provides an alternative to in-vivo characteristics that are difficult to directly measure for movements such as running, especially for trunk muscles and joints. The full-body-lumbar-spine (FBLS) model by Raabe and Chaudhari, 2016 is an OpenSim model created for simulations of jogging. The lifting full-body (LFB) model by Beaucage-Gauvreau et al., 2018 is an adaptation of the FBLS created for estimating spinal loads during lifting. PURPOSE: Determine validity of the FBLS and LFB models in simulating pelvis and lumbar spine kinematics during running. METHODS: Inverse Kinematics were executed using experimental data for the FBLS and LFB models. To …

3d Lidar Human Skeleton Estimation For Long Range Identification, Alexander Glandon, Lasitha Vidyaratne, Nasrin Sadeghzadehyazdi, Nibir Dhar, Jide Familoni, Scott Acton, Khan Iftekharuddin

College of Engineering & Technology (Batten) Posters

This research project is the continuation of an effort by the Vision Lab to understand human gait and motion using special-purpose imaging sensors and novel computer vision algorithms. The project began using a Motion Capture (MoCap) system which measures 3D human skeleton information in real-time by attaching markers to a human subject and viewing the human motion with a set of cameras at different angles. We developed an algorithm to determine the gender of a subject wearing these sensors. The current phase of this project extends this work using a state-of-the-art flash Lidar sensor. This sensor scans the surface of …

Cyclophilin D Is A Sensor Of Nano-Pulse Stimulation, Brittney Ruedlinger, Bani Hani Maisoun, Lucas Potter, Nicola Lai, Stephen J. Beebe

The Graduate School Posters

Nano-Pulse Stimulation (NPS), a pulsed power-derived technology, stimulates structural and functional changes in plasma membranes and cellular organelles. NPS induces a Ca²⁺ influx and opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) that dissipates the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ_m) and, when sustained, induces regulated cell death. Here we show that in rat cardiomyoblasts (H9C2) cyclophilin D (CypD) is a mitochondrial sensor for NPS as defined by observations that loss of ΔΨ_m is Ca²⁺ and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) dependent and cyclosporin A (CsA)-sensitive, which are diagnostic qualities for effects on CypD and the mPTP. …

Trials And Tribulations Of Humanizing Mice For Cancer Research, Brittney Ruedlinger, Steven Warsof, Eric Feliberti, Mary Beth Hughes, Ayobami ‘Edwin’ Oshin, Chunqi Jiang, Brittany P. Lassiter, Siqi Guo, Stephen J. Beebe

The Graduate School Posters

Cancers are aggressive, evasive, and ruthless killers, claiming millions of lives every year. Cancers are heterogeneous and there is often no single, clearly defined problem as they harness and manipulate a multitude of fundamental mechanisms at the very essence of life. To investigate these mechanisms and vet potential interventive therapies, humanized mice offer a unique model as a prelude to the use of nanosecond pulse stimulation (NPS), a pulse power technology applying nanosecond duration, high electric field pulses, to ablate human tumors. Immunodeficient mouse strains, NSG and NSG-SGM3, were engrafted with human immune cells and human tumors, which would allow …

Moderate Heat-Assisted Gene Electrotransfer For Intradermal Dna Vaccination And Protein Replacement Therapy In The Skin, Chelsea Marie Edelblute

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Gene electrotransfer (GET) holds great promise for the delivery of therapeutic agents. The skin serves as an attractive target for GET due to its availability and unique cellular composition. Protein replacement therapy and DNA vaccination are potential applications for intradermal GET. The combination of moderate tissue preheating and GET has been shown to achieve elevated gene expression levels while reducing the necessary applied voltage. In the current work, we utilized a 16-pin multi-electrode array (MEA) and incorporated nine optical fibers, connected to an infrared laser, to pre-heat the tissue to 43°C before application of GET. In a guinea pig model, …