5 big ideas
Posted: May 7, 2012
Cancer’s thermal enemy
Mark DeSantis, DO, ’93, was granted a U.S. patent for his research on the thermal treatment of cancer using carbon nanotechnology. Dr. DeSantis is a board certified nuclear radiologist at the Veterans Administration Hospital in New York.
Why is your research important?
What actually started as a simple investigation on whether nanocarbon had possible X-ray or MRI imaging properties was reanalyzed and applied to possible basic cancer research and thermal therapy. Carbon nanoparticles occur in different basic forms and exist in the sub-micron world. We are using carbon nanosphere chains, which strongly respond to microwave energy in a certain frequency and rapidly convert microwave energy to heat.
What do you hope to achieve?
Our research is in its early stage; however, planned animal cancer trials at Drexel University Medical School are to be scheduled. Some basic research already performed indicated its ability to thermally damage gastric cancer cells. By using a non-ionizing energy to heat them, we can potentially target cancer cells only and preserve the non-cancerous normal tissue unlike today’s treatments that include ionizing radiation, which damages normal tissue. We have so many questions to be answered including whether nanocarbon is safe to biological systems and how the microwave energy is converted to thermal energy.
What is the next big idea?
The nanoworld is the next big question. For example, small amounts of nanocarbon have existed since the early days of primitive man when he began to experiment with wood and fire. The next big thing would be a material scientist looking into to these carbon spheres. They appear to possess extreme heat and strength capabilities.
Stroke rehab
Pamela R. Bosch, PT, DPT, PhD, associate professor, director of research, physical therapy, ASHS, was named the 2010 ASHS Scholar of the Year. She presented her research on neurorehabilitation at the June 2011 World Confederation for Physical Therapy.
Why is your research important?
In conjunction with my ATSU colleague, Jim Lynskey, PT, PhD, and our clinical colleague, Kay Wing, PT, DPT, NCS, we have used whole-body intensive neurorehabilitation to measure functional changes in arm use, walking, and balance in people living with the chronic effects of stroke. This provides a clinically-relevant model that addresses the multiple deficits most patients live with after a stroke. In addition, we are currently using robotic interventions for intensive training of a weak wrist and hand or weak ankle, which allows patients to practice multiple repetitions of motion. This may be more effective in improving function in people with hemiparesis than can be delivered within a traditional therapy session.
What do you hope to achieve?
We hope to provide clinicians effective interventions that maximize functional abilities and quality of life among patients living with the effects of stroke-related hemiparesis. The amount of rehabilitation that most patients receive after a stroke is limited. As physical therapists, we have a responsibility to determine which interventions are most effective in improving function and quality of life for patients living with the chronic effects of a stroke.
What is the next big idea?
The future of neurorehabilitation will require creative collaborations among basic scientists, clinical researchers, clinicians, and those who fund both research and patient care. There is fascinating new neuroscience research, particularly in areas such as brain-machine interface and virtual environments. However, many patients will never be exposed to such techniques and many others may not be appropriate for these interventions. We need to make these intensive training strategies that are so promising more widely available to people who need it now.
Laser-like precision
Inder Makin, MD, PhD, adjunct professor, ASDOH and SOMA, is a recognized scientist in the field of medical instrumentation and technology, having published more than 20 scientific papers.
Why is your research important?
Periodontal, or gum, disease is a widespread problem resulting from neglect of dental care, especially for the underserved, whereby inflamed, bleeding, and infected gums can lead to loss of teeth and affect other systemic diseases, such as heart disease. Laserbased devices are shown to be effective in treating gum disease by killing the disease-causing bacteria and sterilizing infected gum pockets. This technology has developed into simple, portable, and cost-effective devices whereby treatment can be provided within the community. These laserbased techniques are being researched at ASDOH in collaboration with KCOM.
Most important scientific achievement of the past five years in your field of research?
I have been working in the field of medical instrumentation and energy-tissue interaction for more than 20 years. The most important achievement for me has been the invention and development of a focused ultrasound-based device for the non-invasive treatment of skin laxity, which led to several publications, presentations, and more than 10 patents. This research led me to interact with scientists in the area of medical lasers, healthcare technology innovation, and dental laser applications.
What is the next big idea?
Up next is the development of applications in dentistry that leverage healthcare information technology such as the use of smartphonewireless chip scanning technology for biological sample tracking of periodontal bacterial specimens, the use of interactive wireless technology for communitybased dental healthcare improvement, and gamebased tools for graduate dental education.
Listening in
Joy H. Lewis, DO, PhD, FACP, assistant professor and director, SOMA, was recently awarded a grant to evaluate the effectiveness of using the 3M™ Littmann® Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200 and the 3M™ Littmann® Listenin Mobile App for training second-year medical students at community health centers.
Why is your research important?
Literature suggests that medical students and resident trainees lack confidence and proficiency in cardiac examination skills. Students may hear a sound, have difficulty describing it, and then may be unable to reproduce that sound on further examination. Discomfort and insecurity stem from the uncertainty of what they are hearing. The instructor may never hear exactly what the student heard, thus the student does not obtain confirmation regarding the cause of the potentially abnormal sound.
What do you hope to achieve?
3M™ has developed electronic stethoscopes that allow the recording of sounds for sharing or later review, as well as the Listen-in mobile application, which enables an Android device such as a cell phone to link with up to five Littmann® Model 3200 electronic stethoscopes. This may redefine the traditional limits of auscultation by wirelessly delivering simultaneous sound for multiple clinicians and can potentially transform the way preceptors teach and the way students learn. This study will provide a comprehensive, real-world evaluation of the use of the electronic stethoscopes and the Listen-in application for medical student training. The use of these instruments will be evaluated at six geographically diverse locations. The opinions, comfort levels, and skills of both students and clinician educators who use the electronic scopes and the Listen-in device will be compared with those who use traditional auscultation methods.
Anti-dependency
Ibrahim H. Dabaja, DHEd, ’09, PA-C, is COO of Medical Visiting Physicians and CEO of Infinity Primary Medicine Group. He also covers emergency medicine as a PA through the Henry Ford Hospital systems.
Why is your research important?
Today in the United States there are an estimated 6.7 million doctor office visits and more than 40 million total healthcare visits for sore throats annually. With 20-45 percent of patients receiving antibiotics when they are not in need of them, there are approximately 8-18 million unneeded antibiotic prescriptions dispensed for viral pharyngitis. The healthcare consequences of antibiotic over-dispersion are costly not only in terms of human life, but also financially. Some estimate antibiotic-resistant bacteria generate $4-5 billion in annual costs to individuals and society.
What do you hope to achieve?
The purpose of my study was to combat the growing effects of antibiotic overdispersion for viral pharyngitis through healthcare provider education. During an 18-month period in the metro-Detroit area, I developed, implemented, and evaluated a course for medical prescribers to reduce antibiotic prescriptions for patients with viral pharyngitis by increasing diagnostic accuracy.
What is the next big idea?
The next move is to curb increasing healthcare costs on an already strained economy by addressing the growing problem of emergency room over-utilization through patient and primary care provider education. As a physician assistant providing care in emergency and primary medicine, I have noticed that patients and providers are not educated on appropriate use of the emergency department. This has led to emergency medicine provider frustration, ER over-crowding, decreased patient satisfaction scores, increased exposure to nosocomial infections, and a tremendous financial burden on the community, governmental, and private insurances.