SEMO receives close to $200,000 for nanotech light therapy research

Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Engineering and Technology has been awarded a grant of close to $200,000 from the National Science Foundation.

The Engineering Research Initiation grant will provide funding for a two-year study to examine the effects of light and photo-magnetic energy on the endothelium -- a single layer of cells that line human blood and lymphatic vessels.

These cells are subject to significant stress in people with conditions such as diabetes, which markedly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Santaneel Ghosh, engineering and technology professor at SEMO, said the long-term goal of the research is to develop noninvasive therapeutic applications to improve the treatment outcomes for diseases that involve damage to the cells that line the blood vessels.

Ghosh said the research could lead to regenerative tissue repair.

SEMO receives grant for nanotech light therapy researchSubmitted

SEMO receives grant for nanotech light therapy researchSubmitted

The research uses nanotechnology in combination with photo-magnetic light therapy.

What is nanotechnology?

The prefix "nano" means one-billionth, according to the National Nanotechnology Initiative website, www.nano.gov. Therefore, one nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.

This brings the science of nanotechnology down to the scale of atoms, where a single gold atom is about a third of a nanometer in diameter.

"Because of their small size, nanoparticles have the ability to go inside the cells and repair genes, remove toxins and deliver therapeutic agents," Ghosh said. "This presents huge potential for biomedical applications."

Ghosh said one possible application, and the focus of his department's research, is the regeneration of endothelial cells. He said the energy of these cells becomes depleted because of age and genetics, as well as lifestyle choices such as smoking and a diet of too much red meat and fried food.

Ghosh said his department's study will infuse cell cultures with nanoparticles and, essentially, blast them with low-level light radiation and magnetic fields.

The nanoparticles are a synthesis of gold and iron-oxide encased in a polymer shell, and Ghosh said the gold reacts to the light therapy and the iron-oxide reacts to the magnetic fields.

Ghosh said these "excited" nanoparticles create energy within the depleted cells.

"If we can replenish the lost energy of the cells then, hypothetically, the cells will begin regenerating and go back to repairing the damaged blood vessels," Ghosh said.

A revolutionary change

Ghosh added he believes this project will bring a revolutionary change in noninvasive treatment for diabetes and other diseases.

In the case of diabetics, Ghosh said the typical treatment is through medication and recommended lifestyle changes in exercise and diet.

"Which works, but not beyond a certain point," Ghosh said. "If this kind of therapy becomes successful, it will be a unique way to reenergize the cells and repair the blood vessels, which can vastly reduce the number of medicines the patient must take, improving their quality of life."

Diabetes causes damage to the blood vessels, which increases risks to the cardiovascular system.

Ghosh said the endothelial cells suffer significant stress because of diabetes. He said the blood vessels lose their elasticity and constrict trapping plaque formations from excess cholesterol and fat. This causes blockages, which then require stints to be placed to reopen the vessels in order to prevent heart attacks.

Ghosh said techniques developed from the university's research could also potentially be used to diagnose the damage level of the endothelial vessels.

A multidisciplinary effort

The research project involves students from different disciplines across the university such as physics, biology and environmental science. Ghosh said this brings a diversity of perspectives from students who typically might not interact.

"This institution is training these students in cutting-edge research," Ghosh said. "We are essentially developing the workforce of the future who will be in the forefront of technological innovation in the decades to come."