ATARI: A Terahertz tricorder for lAseR-assIsted wound healing

伤口愈合仍然是一个非常复杂的过程，减少愈合时间，同时最大限度地减少组织疤痕是重要的医疗目标。激光辅助伤口愈合正在成为外科医学中一个有吸引力的概念，有望实现无缝合手术。最近，纳米颗粒辅助的低剂量光热疗法引起了人们的关注，因为它们可以促进伤口愈合，同时需要较低的激光功率。然而，这些疗法仍处于起步阶段，并且尚未在临床环境中使用，因为由于激光吸收和伴随的热产生导致的温度快速升高可导致显著的光热组织损伤。因此，尖端的诊断工具是必不可少的，以监测温度和最大限度地减少损害。这个跨学科项目的目标是开发一种创新技术，将纳米加热与太赫兹辐射驱动的非侵入性/非电离诊断工具相结合，纳米加热可局部提供治疗方法以加速伤口愈合。与三个工业合作伙伴，Swift Medical，Nanobrand和TeTechS一起，我们将（i）研究纳米颗粒功能化和设计，以改善纳米颗粒的热沉积和聚集/扩散的靶向以及组织内热点的产生;（ii）研究如何通过使用热敏连接在纳米颗粒表面上功能化药物来规避竞争过程，例如过度凝血;（iii）开发智能实时太赫兹三维成像和温度传感系统，用于监测伤口愈合期间的温度演变和光热损伤。这样的平台将为角膜、神经和血管等脆弱组织的伤口愈合提供前所未有的方法。我们的发现将推动激光辅助再生纳米医学的基础研究，在临床环境中获得更强的立足点，并有可能彻底改变与伤口和皮肤癌治疗相关的局部手术实践。由此产生的技术的商业化将最终导致加拿大社会在自然/技术/卫生部门的突破，并改善数百万加拿大人的健康。

Wound healing remains a very complex process and reducing healing time while minimizing tissue scarring are important medical goals. Laser-assisted wound healing is emerging as an appealing concept in surgical medicine, holding the promise of suture-less surgeries. Recently, nanoparticle-assisted low-dose photothermal therapies have garnered attention as they can facilitate wound healing while requiring lower laser power. However, these therapies are still in their infancy and have not been employed in the clinical setting since rapid elevation in temperature due to laser absorption and concomitant heat generation can cause significant photothermal tissue damage. Therefore, cutting-edge diagnostic tools are indispensable to monitor the temperature and minimize damage. The goal of this interdisciplinary project is to develop an innovative technique combining nanoheating, which locally delivers therapeutics to accelerate wound healing, with a non-invasive/non-ionizing diagnostic tool driven by terahertz radiation. Together with three industrial partners, Swift Medical, Nanobrand, and TeTechS, we will (i) study nanoparticle functionalization and design to improve targeting of heat deposition and clustering/diffusion of nanoparticles and the creation of hotspots within tissues; (ii) investigate how to circumvent competing processes such as excessive blood coagulation by functionalizing drugs on the nanoparticle surface using thermosensitive linkages; (iii) develop a smart real-time terahertz 3-D imaging and temperature sensing system for monitoring temperature evolution and photothermal damage during wound healing. Such a platform will offer an unprecedented method for wound healing of delicate tissues such as the cornea, nerves and blood vessels. Our discoveries will push forward fundamental research in laser-assisted regenerative nanomedicine to gain a stronger foothold within clinical settings and have the potential to revolutionize the topical surgical practices related to the treatment of wounds and skin cancers. The commercialization of the resulting technology will ultimately lead to breakthroughs for the Canadian society in nature/technology/health sectors and improve the health of millions of Canadians.