Maverick Engineering Social Media

Small Things Make Large Health Improvements

Maham Rahimi and Aniket Wadajkar want to improve your health. That’s why they developed drug-delivering nanoparticles, some that attack cancer cells and some for wound-healing hydrogels.

Maham came to UT Arlington in 2004 after completing a master’s degree in organic chemistry – specifically medicinal chemistry – at Southern Methodist University. While there, he realized there was an enormous gap between having effective drugs and being able to deliver them to specific areas for maximum effectiveness. Working for two years in the laboratory, Maham worked with other students to design in computer simulations synthesized inhibitor molecules for cancer-causing enzymes.

Though the computer simulations indicated good activities for the designed molecules, in actual tests the drugs were only partially successful. The molecules did not penetrate the cell membrane to reach the targeted enzyme as was hoped. So he decided to come to UT Arlington and investigate nanoparticles as a drug delivery system.

Working with Bioengineering Assistant Professor Kytai Nguyen, Maham studied nanoparticles that had polymer shells and magnetic cores. He investigated their synthesis, compatibility and chemical and physical properties, and successfully synthesized the core-shell nanoparticles.

At this point, Aniket joined Dr. Nguyen’s lab in order to pursue his dream as a nanotechnology scientist. After a few weeks observing different projects in Dr. Nguyen’s lab, his interest grew toward the nanoparticles that Maham was investigating. Together, they found several fascinating discoveries in the biocompatibility of the core-shell nanoparticles.

The magnetic core provided several advantages for internal delivery: The nanoparticles’ location could be tracked using MRI, the nanoparticles could be directed to a specific location using magnetic fields, and magnets could be used to heat the core and, in turn, the polymer shell. The heat-sensitive polymer shells would shrink, releasing the drug in the vicinity of cancerous tissue much as a squeezed sponge releases a liquid.

After three years, Mahan had a successful delivery system that could transport drugs to targeted cancer cells. His work was supported by funds for prostate cancer research, but the nanoparticle delivery system is applicable to all bodily locations. He and Dr. Nguyen have filed several patent applications for their discoveries.

Now that Maham has a system that works, he’s going to medical school at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center to gain a better understanding of cancers and to pursue research in oncology and cancer treatment using a bioengineering approach. His wife, Nazanin, is also a medical student there, but his faculty mentors here say he could have been accepted at any school he chose.

Meanwhile, Aniket continued his work, also with Dr. Nguyen, on hydrogels for external wound healing applications. He had the biocompatible materials he needed, including the nanoparticles to carry the drugs.

Aniket’s hydrogels have the advantage of conforming to the shape of any wound. When exposed to ultraviolet light, the hydrogel forms an impenetrable seal, eliminating the need for bandages, while also remaining as flexible as natural tissue. Inside the gel, the nanoparticles release their contents when heated; Aniket has studied a range of temperatures to determine which works best.

Aniket worked with Materials Science & Engineering Professor Pranesh Aswath on the hydrogel. Dr. Aswath suggested using a double layer of gel surrounding the nanoparticles to improve the controlled release of drugs. Animal studies will begin soon to determine if their laboratory results will be replicated in real-world conditions.

Aniket and Drs. Aswath and Nguyen have filed a patent application for their discoveries. Aniket plans to pursue a Ph.D. degree after he receives his biomedical engineering master’s degree this summer.