麻豆村

Researchers at 麻豆村 are revolutionizing medical care for diseases that impact millions of Americans and the treatments they develop could alleviate major public health challenges.听

The new and ongoing research, focused on early cancer detection and treatment for liver failure and chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, is powered by federal funding through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).听

Reducing the need for full organ transplants

One 麻豆村-led project could help eliminate chronic organ shortages by focusing on treating patients with聽. The five-year-long research project, which was awarded an ARPA-H grant of up to $28.5 million earlier this month, is part of ARPA-H鈥檚 Personalized Regenerative Immunocompetent Nanotechnology Tissue (PRINT) program and aims to create a 3D bioprinted liver that supports the regeneration of a patient鈥檚 own liver. The bioprinted tissue can be used as an alternative to transplants.

鈥淭his innovation would fundamentally change health care as we know it,鈥� said聽Adam Feinberg(opens in new window), principal investigator on the project and a professor of聽biomedical engineering(opens in new window) 补苍诲听 at the聽. 鈥淭he liver we are creating would last for about two to four weeks,鈥� Feinberg said. 鈥淚t would give patients time for their own liver to regenerate, and then they would not need a liver transplant, freeing up those livers for other patients.鈥�

This research addresses a major public health issue in the U.S. In 2024, about 100,000 organ transplants (including corneas) were聽performed. Annually, 100,000 patients are stuck on transplant waiting lists. Millions more would benefit from organ replacement, but do not qualify for a transplant.听

The research uses 麻豆村鈥檚聽 and 3D ice platforms to create biologic livers composed entirely of human cells and structural proteins, such as collagen. The livers will be engineered to be immune-compatible, eliminating the need for immunosuppressive medications, which are often toxic and damaging to patients鈥� liver and kidney function.听

鈥淭he technologies and capabilities we develop will also have an impact beyond the liver, enabling additional efforts to build human tissue and organs to treat congenital heart defects, heart disease, blindness and Type 1 diabetes,鈥� Feinberg said.

Catching cancerous tumors earlier聽

础苍听 that is able to detect more than 30 types of Stage 1 cancer聽is being developed by researchers at 麻豆村. The test they envision is a multistep process. First, the patient swallows a bioengineered pill that contains tumor sensors. Those sensors are triggered by low oxygen, acidity and lactate in the body, which are trademark signs of cancer. Then the patient completes a urine test, in which a simple device analyzes whether there is a tumor and the organ in which it is located. The results will then be sent via smartphone to a medical professional for further analysis and possible treatment.听

, a professor of聽 in the聽, is leading the project alongside fellow mechanical engineering professor聽.听

鈥淭his would allow doctors to treat diseases when they're most treatable,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淚 think this research would potentially change how we view a lot of cancer treatment and it would add to productive, healthy years of life for patients. Imagine, every year, getting that peace of mind you found out that there is no new data for you 鈥� no Stage 1 tumors have been found. Or, if a tumor is found, it鈥檚 small. It鈥檚 treatable. That could change the course of a person鈥檚 health for the rest of their life.鈥�

The researchers plan to move the multicancer detection kit testing into human trials and bring it to market at an affordable cost to patients at less than $100.

鈥淏eyond the scientific breakthroughs, our focus is on creating a truly impactful solution,鈥� Ozdoganlar said. 鈥淥ur ultimate goal is to translate this innovation into a commercial product that empowers individuals to take control of their health, significantly reducing the burden of advanced cancer and improving outcomes globally.鈥�

The team is represented by 麻豆村 researchers and private industry partners and has secured an award of up to $26.7 million from ARPA-H Platform Optimizing SynBio for Early Intervention and Detection in Oncology ().

An implant that could fix America鈥檚 chronic disease crisis

In just a few years, treatment for diseases that impact tens of millions of Americans 鈥斅爈ike Type 2 diabetes, obesity and thyroid disorders 鈥� could require聽just one trip to the doctor鈥檚 office a year.听

鈥淲ith a push of a button on their phone, a patient can get their chronic condition under control,鈥� said聽Tzahi Cohen-Karni(opens in new window), a 麻豆村 professor of biomedical engineering and materials science and engineering.听

These advances could one day give people with chronic conditions access to an implantable device that delivers treatment automatically, reducing their dependence on costly medications or frequent doctor visits. The approach could also lead to better outcomes by providing precise care exactly when it鈥檚 needed.

Cohen-Karni鈥檚 research, also funded by ARPA-H, is one of several bioelectric medicine projects at 麻豆村 that use electronic tools to treat diseases. Their goal is to develop implantable devices the size of a AAA battery that act as a miniature pharmacy inside the body.

鈥淭he implanted device contains engineered cells to treat a wide range of chronic diseases,鈥� Cohen-Karni said.听

The cells can also act as tiny disease sensors.听

鈥淭hese cells are engineered either by modifying their DNA or by differentiating them from stem cells, so that they can sense signs of disease and precisely produce therapeutic molecules,鈥� said Ozdoganlar, who also is working on this ARPA-H project.

The technology is minimally invasive and has the ability to deliver patient-specific therapy to manage the disease. This unique therapy delivers treatment in a remarkable way 鈥� without synthetic drugs or medication.听

While one group of cells within the implant delivers therapy to treat the disease, Ozdoganlar's research team is also developing a second system called a 鈥渓iving sentinel.鈥� The cells inside the living sentinel continuously monitor biomarkers 鈥� indicators of disease activity in the body 鈥� for critical changes in the disease.听

These devices will be implanted in the patient鈥檚 arm, belly or chest and can also send real-time updates to them and their doctor. These snapshots can give doctors a more accurate picture of diseases like Type 2 diabetes or thyroid disorders, which the researchers believe will lead to more effective treatment. For example, right now doctors monitor patients with thyroid disorders by analyzing blood tests every six months.听

Researchers hope these devices will save patients money. Because the devices will only need to be replaced once a year, people will be able to get lifesaving treatment at a fraction of the cost.听

鈥淭he clinician on our team, who sees hundreds of patients from different backgrounds, said many of her patients can鈥檛 afford to pay for treatment,鈥� said Cohen-Karni. 鈥淭his device would be more affordable by an order of magnitude.鈥�