The Cure to Cancer: Engineers and Light?

“Biomedical Engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology. This field seeks to close the gap between engineering and medicine: It combines the design and problem solving skills of engineering with medical and biological sciences to improve healthcare and diagnosis, monitoring and therapy… Prominent biomedical engineering applications include the development of biocompatible prostheses, various diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices ranging from clinical equipment to micro-implants, common imaging equipment such as MRIs and EEGs, regenerative tissue growth, pharmaceutical drugs and therapeutic biologicals” (Wikipedia). I sat down with UMD’s own Dr. Darayash Tata, physics professor and biomedical engineer, to hear about the research he does at the university. Dr. Tata’s research seeks to solve the same problem that many other biomedical engineers obsess over, cancer. Cancer is one of the biggest fears of American society. It is one of the few common diseases that is still terminal to this day. Though a great amount of research has been done on the disease, methods used to prevent and “cure” it are not entirely effective and can harm the body greatly. When considering curing cancer, one would typically think of a doctor in a hospital. Though biomedical engineers help cure disease as much as doctors do, their work is far different and rarely thought about. Dr. Tata seeks to cure medical problems by the engineering devices.

Dr. Tata has been researching a method of destroying cancerous tissue by the use of light.  Research has shown that photo-agent Photofrin II tends to be retained by cancerous tissue. When the body is injected with Photo II nanoparticles, all tissue tends to retain some of them for a certain period of time. Healthy tissue is able to quickly flush the particles out within 40 to 50 hours. Tumors however, do not flush the Photofrin II out for a greater period of time. Thus, the photofrin II particles remain dormant within the tumor. The nanoparticles are biologically inert without the presence of visible light. “In the presence of visible light and molecular oxygen Photo II is known to induce “dynamical killing””(Tata, 3).  The “dynamical killing” is performed through oxygen-based reactions, destroying much of the cancerous tumor. According to Dr. Tata, the largest setback inherent to this method of destroying cancer is the lack of oxygen within cancerous cells. Ultimately, the tumor is destroyed to a certain extent but is limited by the amount of oxygen available. The reactions causing the “dynamical killing” subside as soon as the tumor runs out of oxygen. It is for this reason that cancer is not widely treated with this device. Through time and research, Dr. Tata hopes to refine this method. If it can be made more efficient and cost-effective, this method could greatly help cancer patients.

Biomedical engineering is a relatively new field combining theories of biology, medicine, and engineering. Biomedical engineers can be greatly credited for the vast advances in medicine over the past couple decades. By applying what we know about biology and medicine, doctors with sound engineering backgrounds can create devices to overcome our greatest medical problems. Through his research, Dr. Tata intends to do just that: Engineer a device that will destroy cancerous tumors. 

**I could not get this video embedded http://qik.com/video/45873839

Robberies on Knox road

The College Park area has been plagued with crime for as long as any current student can remember. Criminals see students as easy targets for robberies and assaults. Though the threat of crime is felt on and off campus, few students feel the heat as much as the residents of Knox road. The “Knox Box” apartments circling Knox, Guilford, Hartwick, and Rossborough road often fall victim to robberies. Freshman Ross Cone, resident of the 4200 block of Knox Road, recounts his apartment being broken into on Saturday, October 22. Ross had his laptop, xbox, and cellphone stolen when the suspect broke in through his window. After speaking with him for some time, it became apparent that Ross’s break-in was no isolated event. He explained that the apartment above him had been recently robbed as well. Similarly, entry was forced and electronics were stolen. Though property theft threatens all of its residents, Knox road is often the scene of assaults and armed robberies on pedestrians.

A crime map (http://ucrime.com/md/university+of+maryland) of College Park shows the crime density of the area. Interestingly, most of the crime reports in the area are extremely close in proximity to the University. This supports the idea that criminals prey on college students because they are comparatively easy targets when compared to other demographics. Students are also targeted because they almost always have laptops, cell phones, TV’s, and printers. Thieves find these items the most profitable to steal. Students need to be keep all of their belongings under watch and locked away. Those venturing off Campus need to be very cautious when walking  late at night.

listen to ‘Ross cone’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Ross2’ on Audioboo

Public radio service and funding

Public radio stations are licensed by the FCC. Because the radio waves are owned by the people, the radio stations are supposed to serve the people. The FCC’s licensing operations attempt to ensure this. All licensed public radio stations are to serve the community’s needs. This idea of service justifies government funding for public radio stations. While the government is willing to help fund public radio stations, they provide only a small part of a station’s revenue. Stations generate revenue through their programming and fans. Individual benefactors and businesses contribute largely to radio stations. People are often willing to donate to their favorite radio station. Fans tuning in also hear advertisements over the air, generating the station money. As a part of the community, radio stations also host a great deal of events. Though these events often help to create money for the station, most include a fundraiser of some sort.

listen to ‘Public radio interview 2’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Public radio’ on Audioboo