Cancer-related illness is the second leading cause of death in many industrialized countries. Among available therapeutic methods in cancer treatment, magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia, in which magnetic nanoparticles delivered to tumors induce localized heating when exposed to alternating magnetic fields, is highly promising due to its simple implementation, high tumor cell-killing potential, low cost, and reduced complications. Inappropriate deposition of the particles in tumor yields unfavorable temperature distribution for cancer therapy especially when the tumor has an irregular size. Distribution of nanoparticles in biological tissue and tumor and heating patterns induced by these nanoparticles under various therapeutic conditions are not well understood. The proposal addresses the challenge of control of the dispersion of nanoparticles in the extracellular space of tumor during the administration process and development of individualized therapeutic strategy to enable optimal treatment outcome. The research effort will focus on: (1) Nanofluid transport in agarose gel; (2) In vivo experiments performed on a tumor implanted in mice to investigate the effect of tumor vasculature on the temperature elevation; and (3) Heat transfer modeling of potential scenarios of magnetic hyperthermia to design strategy of multiple injection sites in irregularly shaped tumors. The unified computational and in vivo experimental approach proposed in the study is expected to advance fundamental understanding of magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia and enables optimal design for a heat-control algorithm and treatment protocol with improved efficacy for individualized treatment of tumors. The proposed research will be integrated into seminar series and our curricula for disseminating nano-bioscience and technology as well as educating and training students in an interdisciplinary setting. The funding will provide students from diverse backgrounds with ample research opportunities to engage in experiential training.
