Photoacoustic Detection of Melanoma Micrometastasis in Sentinel Lymph Nodes
Journal of Biomechanical Engineering. Vol 131, July 2009. By Devin McCormack and others

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and has the fastest growth rate of all cancer types. Proper staging of melanoma is required for clinical management. One method of staging melanoma is performed by taking a sentinel node biopsy, in which the first node in the lymphatic drainage path of the primary lesian is removed and tested for the presence of melanoma cells. We have developed a photoacoustic method that probes the entire node intact.

Voxelized Model of Interstitial Transport in the Rat Spinal Cord Following Direct Infusion into White Matter
Journal of Biomechanical Engineering. Vol 131, July 2009. By Jung Hwan Kim and others

Direct tissue infusion is a promising local delivery for treating diseases of the central nervous system. Predictive models of spatial drug distribution during and following direct tissue infusion are necessary for treatment optimization and planning of surgery. In this study, a 3D interstitial transport modeling approach in which tissue properties are anatomical boundaries are assigned on a voxel-by-voxel basis using tissue alignment data from diffusion tensor imaging is presented.

Peptide- and Aptamer-Functionalized Nanovectors for Targeted Delivery of Therapeutics
Journal of Biomechanical Engineering. Vol 131, July 2009. By Todd O. Pangburn and others

Targeted area of therapeutics is an area of vigorous research, and peptide- and aptamer-functionalized nanovectors are a promising class of targeted delivery vehicles. The multitude of peptide ligands that have been used for targeted delivery are covered in this review, with discussion of binding selectivity and targeting performance for these peptide sequences where possible. Targeted delivery of therapeutics by these targeted nanovectors is reviewed with coverage of both in vitro and in vivo deliveries.

The Deformation Behavior of Multiple Red Blood Cells in a Capillary Vessel
Journal of Biomechanical Engineering. Vol 131, July 2009. By Xiaobo Gong and others

The deformation of multiple red blood cells in a capillary flow was studied numerically. The immersed boundary method was used for the fluid red blood cells interaction. The membrane of the red blood cell was modeled as a hyperelastic thin shell. The numerical results show that the apparent viscosity in the capillary flow is more sensitive to the change of shear coeffecient of the membrane than that of the bending or surface dilation.

Nanoparticles for Thermal Cancer Therapy
Journal of Biomechanical Engineering. Vol 131, July 2009. By Emily S. Day, Jennifer G. Morton, and Jennifer L. West

Advances in nanotechnology are enabling many new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in cancer. In this review, examples where nanoparticles are employed to induce localized heating within tumors are explored. Approaches to nanoparticle-medicated thermal therapy include absorption of infrared light, radio frequency ablation, and magnetically-induced heating. These approaches have demonstrated high efficacy in animal models, and two are already in human clinical trials.

Numerical Simulation of Au Nanoparticles Effect on the PCR Process
Journal of Biomechanical Engineering. Vol 131, Jul 09. By Chao Chen and others

Gold nanoparticles have been found to greatly enhance the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) speci?city and yield in recent studies. However, the underlying mechanism is still unclear, though different hypotheses have already been proposed. In this study, a mass-action based model has been developed to investigate the effect of Au nanoparticles on the two-round PCR results.

Dynamic Effect of Heat Shock Pretreatment on Apoptotic Responses to TNF- in Liver Cells
Journal of Biomechanical Engineering. Vol 131, Jul 09 By Sihong Wang and others

IThe correlation between apoptosis and heat shock protein (HSP) expression kinetics demonstrates that both high levels of HSPs and proper timing between HS and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) stress were critical for optimal protection. Our study establishes a dynamic experimental model for further investigation of HS as a potential clinical approach to target tissue survival or death.

Frontiers in Biotransport: Water Transport and Hydration
Journal of Biomechanical Engineering. Vol 131, Jul 09. By Alptekin Aksan, Allison Hubel, and John C. Bischof

Biotransport, by its nature, is concerned with the motions of molecules in biological systems while water remains as the most important and the most commonly studied molecule across all disciplines. In this review, we focus on biopreservation and thermal therapies from the perspective of water, exploring how its molecular motions, properties, kinetic, and thermodynamic transitions govern biotransport phenomena and enable perservation or controlled destruction of biological systems.

Job opportunities in genetics research on rise
December 12, 2009. By MARTHA BRANNIGAN

If working in genetics research is in your DNA, the job opportunities are on the rise.
The University of Miami's John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, which opened in January 2007 with 40 to 50 employees, has grown to 200 positions. And it's looking for lab technicians and clinical workers.

Wounded soldier's diabetes is `cured' with cells
December 15, 2009. By Fred Tasker and Lesley Clark

WASHINGTON -- In an apparent medical first, doctors removed a bullet-scarred pancreas from a wounded serviceman, flew the organ from Walter Reed Army Medical Center to the University of Miami, salvaged insulin-producing cells, then flew it back and transplanted the cells into the man's liver.

Big drug development expected to bring millions to USF
December 4, 2009. By Richard Danielson

TAMPA A promising anti-depression drug created at the University of South Florida stands to become USF's most lucrative patent ever, thanks to a major pharmaceutical deal announced Thursday.

Business leaders discuss how to nurture Florida's emerging biotech sector
December 2, 2009. By Bridget Carey

Biotechnolgy research is on the rise in Florida, but the state needs to lure venture capital away from tech corridors, like Boston, Austin, Texas, and Silicon Valley to become an industry powerhouse.