Seminars

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR T) therapy has demonstrated remarkable efficacy in treating blood cancers. However, a significant percentage of patients experience relapse, the mechanisms of which remain poorly characterized. Emerging evidence suggests that the mechanical stiffness of cells plays a key role in T cell-mediated cytotoxicity. We are applying high-throughput stiffness measurements to better understand this interaction and characterize the physical mechanisms of therapeutic resistance in B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL).

Biomaterials have become increasingly multifunctional and complex, bringing both breakthroughs and challenges in medicine. One of the greatest issues is the difficulty in assessing multidimensional dynamics of tissue–implant interactions due to a lack of noninvasive and multiplexed monitoring techniques. To address this, we developed a surface-enhancing Raman-active implant material composed of gold nanocolumns on a titanium surface (AuNC-Ti) for enabling nondestructive monitoring of complex implant-material interactions in real-time.