OSU Seeks Patent For Cell-Changing Technology

By T.C. Brown

Researchers are able to sum up Nanochannel Electroporation (NEP) in a simple phrase, says L. James Lee, a professor in Ohio State’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

"We are giving an individual cell a shot," says Lee, who also directs a center that is a bit of a mouthful itself – the National Science Foundation Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC) for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices. Ohio State’s NSEC is one of 15 in the country.

The work of Lee and his colleagues on the NEP process, which allows the transfection of cells with precise control over dose and timing, is of great importance in the fields of healthcare and medicine. Transfection is the process of deliberately introducing nucleicacids into cells.

The NEP process could lead to the development of an advanced platform for treatment of disease, new drug discoveries, enhanced gene therapy and state-of-the-art biological analysis. The development of a prototype for this first-of-its kind technology in the world has prompted Ohio State to apply for a patent.

And the NEP process is a prime example of how engineers work hand-in-hand with medical researchers and clinicians to advance human health.

It was a simple conversation that led to Lee’s groundbreaking NEP research.

Lee had discussions with cancer physicians about their long-used process known as Bulk Electroporation (BEP), which determines how DNA interacts with cells. But that process has long presented problems, such as lack of control and limited cell viability, Lee says.

"Usually more than half the cells die and some cells are not affected at all because they are blocked by other cells," Lee says. "That means there is not a very uniform delivery."

Unlike BEP, the transfection rate for NEP is very high, allowing for the delivery of DNA or a gene to be deposited into a cell in order to try to change that cell’s behavior.

"If a patient has cells that have a certain defect – for instance, they will not produce a very important protein – one treatment is to deliver a gene to those cells," Lee says. "That will trigger certain DNA or RNA to produce that protein so the patient can recover normal functions. To do it, dosage control is important. You can’t shoot an unlimited amount."

Right now, researchers can only apply the NEP technique to a small number of cells. The hurdle is raising that number to a "high throughput" of thousands and even a million, says Lee.

"This is pretty exciting," Lee says.

The National Science Foundation provides nearly $2.6 million per year for Ohio State’s NSEC. The university provides an annual grant of $500,000, and the College of Engineering contributes $350,000 a year.