I-Corps: A Hybrid Photo-Magnetic Field Generator for Assessment of Nanoscale Materials and Therapeutic Molecules

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a novel device for simultaneous optical and oscillating magnetic field irradiation of a target. This device has potential applications in broad areas of basic, translational, and clinical research as well as biomedical and pharmaceutical industrial applications, which involve the unique nanoplatform characterization and efficacy assessment of next generation small molecule drugs and biologics toward the development of novel therapeutic approaches. The success of this project will enable advanced therapies to induce ultimate combined tumor cell destruction. This I-Corps project advances translation of a photo-magnetic hybrid field-generating device for simultaneous optical and oscillating magnetic field irradiation of a target to address the synergistic effects of photothermal, magnetothermal, and photodynamic activations. Using this device, a multimodal comprehensive strategy called “hybrid photo-magnetic stimulation” that has been unexplored previously is implemented with various materials and biological systems. This device permits simultaneous optical and (low/high frequency) AC magnetic field exposure, and thereby generates cumulative or synergetic effects depending on the target’s composition and characteristics. This novel technology permits the use of a less intense AC magnetic field in combination with optical stimulation during the irradiation process, thus removing the safety concerns associated with the AC magnetic field-assisted therapies. Using this device, it has been observed that smart nanostructure-based photo-magnetic hybrid irradiation is a viable approach to remotely guide tumor cell destruction, which may be adopted in clinical management to treat aggressive cancers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.