Exosomes are nano-sized vesicles released by cells that can carry information which contain proteins, DNA and other molecules from the cells that created them. They serve as messengers giving a view of what’s happening inside the body, which makes them promising tools for early, noninvasive disease detection.

Led by principal investigator Kiminobu Sugaya, professor and head of the neuroscience division at the College of Medicine, and Qun Huo, professor and graduate program director in the Department of Chemistry in the College of Sciences, the team created a streamlined alternative. Their new method uses basic lab tools to collect and concentrate exosomes from cell samples in under an hour. The findings were recently published in the American Chemical Society’s Applied Bio Materials journal.

“Our method eliminates the need for ultracentrifugation, precipitation kits or affinity-based labeling,” Huo says. “Instead, we use a size-selective filtration and direct optical analysis technique that can isolate and characterize exosomes within a single step. This not only reduces the processing time significantly—from hours to minutes—but also minimizes sample loss and experimental variability.”

With this form of characterization, the researchers add specific antibodies, which are proteins that bind to target disease-related proteins on the exosomes. If the antibodies find a match, the exosomes cluster, causing a measurable increase in size. This change can be quickly detected using dynamic light scattering (DLS), a light-based measurement technique.

“We chose DLS not only for its ability to measure particle size distribution rapidly and non-destructively, but also for its sensitivity in detecting molecular interactions,” Huo says. “The resulting change in hydrodynamic size, as measured by DLS, serves as a direct indicator of antigen-antibody interaction.”

Hannah Ambrosius, a chemistry doctoral student, worked closely on the study as part of her thesis and shares that she quickly recognized the potential beyond just speeding up the isolation process.

“Given that exosomes contain specific biomarkers that can be used for disease detection, like cancer, it’s imperative that the exosome is efficiently isolated and purified before further analysis,” Ambrosius says. “With this protocol, we’ve moved on to human samples and have made some very interesting discoveries that we’re excited to soon share with the research community.”

The researchers tested the method on exosomes from three types of cells: human embryotic kidney cells, genetically modified cells with green fluorescent protein and brain cancer stem cells from a patient with glioblastoma. In all three cases, the method successfully isolated the exosomes and identified their surface proteins with great reliability.

“While exosome research is often associated with neurodegenerative diseases, the original purpose of this project was to develop a diagnostic tool for glioblastoma—one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant brain tumors,” Sugaya says. “Our method offers a rapid, non-invasive way to detect glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) by analyzing surface markers on exosomes, which reflect tumor-specific antigens.”

Sugaya says this technique is part of an ongoing effort to not only improve diagnosis but also advance new approaches to treatments.

“This diagnostic platform complements a novel therapeutic strategy we recently developed: an exosome-based drug delivery system that delivers non-nucleic-acid medicines directly to GBM cells,” he says. “This approach has shown strong potential as a curative therapy, and the diagnostic system we created will also serve as a valuable tool for monitoring treatment response and disease progression.”

The researchers on the team across the two colleges agree that interdisciplinary collaboration was key to achieving results.

“Collaboration allowed us to integrate biological insight with technological innovation,” Huo says. “The synergy enabled us to optimize both the design and function of the isolation platform.”

Ambrosius says as a student researcher, the collaboration opened valuable doors.

“From the perspective of a graduate student, it’s interesting to learn that the research field isn’t always about how much you know, but also who you know,” she says. “Progress is nothing short of a team effort.”

About the Researchers

Sugaya has dedicated over 40 years to neuroscience research focused on Alzheimer’s disease, with an emphasis on stem cells for the last 26 years. He moved to the U.S. after receiving his Ph.D. from the Science ����ֱ�� of Tokyo in 1988. He joined UCF as a professor in 2004. His cancer research began in 2010 when he discovered stemness gene expressions, the self-renewing and differentiating property that allows cancer stem cells to grow and spread. He has become recognized as an expert in the field of exosome research and recently received Florida Innovation Funding from the State Department of Health for his studies.

Huo’s current research focuses on the development of new analytical and diagnostic technologies to address the health issues of humans, animals and agriculture. Huo received her bachelor’s degree in polymer science from the ����ֱ�� of Science and Technology of China in 1991, master’s degree in chemistry from Sun Yatsen ����ֱ�� in 1994 and Ph.D. in chemistry from the ����ֱ�� of Miami in 1999. Her laboratory has developed a rapid blood test to measure the immune health of humans and animals. She collaborates extensively with biomedical scientists, medical doctors, animal scientists, veterinarians and plant scientists to develop innovative solutions for practical and challenging problems.

This year’s call for proposals encouraged researchers to leverage technology to enhance arts-based health programs, improve accessibility and develop evidence-based practices that promote overall wellness, under the theme “Innovative Synergy: Bridging Arts and Wellness with Technology.” As technology continues to transform how we live, work and create, the opportunity to explore the connection between the arts and wellness through a technological lens has never been more promising.

The awards were founded by Central Florida’s Pabst Steinmetz Foundation to recognize teams building sustainable models for arts and wellness innovation. The teams involve collaboration between the College of Arts and Humanities, at least one internal university partner and a community organization, in order to promote cross-disciplinary collaboration and research.

“Partnerships between UCF and community always create magic and inspiration as they enrich our community’s capacity; the 2024 awardees/initiatives are no exception. We look forward to the impact each creates,” says Margery Pabst Steinmetz, who co-founded the foundation with her husband Chuck Steinmetz.

The winners were selected for their significant potential to positively impact the community through a collaboration of arts, science, wellness and engagement in their research.

Scientific Proof of Music Therapy’s Impact on Alzheimer’s Disease

In collaboration with UCF’s Lake Nona Medical Center and UCF Health Faculty Physician Practice at Lake Nona, this innovative research aims to investigate the effects of music therapy on individuals with Alzheimer’s disease by examining molecular changes in salivary exosomes. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles released by cells that carry biomarkers reflecting brain health, making them an ideal tool for studying the molecular effects of music therapy in Alzheimer’s. By analyzing biomarkers such as serotonin, dopamine, amyloid-beta and tau proteins, the study seeks to uncover how music therapy impacts mood, memory, and anxiety and potentially slows neurodegeneration in patients with Alzheimer’s .

UCF School of Performing Arts Professor and violinist Ayako Yonetani lends her expertise in music therapy and performance, which is crucial for developing effective music therapy sessions. Under her guidance, the project will include live classical music, as familiar and emotionally significant compositions are known to elicit stronger therapeutic responses. Yonetani’s unique combination of skills in both the performing arts and the therapeutic applications of music will help bridge the gap between the arts and science, ensuring that the music therapy sessions are effective and tailored to the needs of Alzheimer’s patients.

“Music is more than just art and entertainment — it has the power to enhance brain function and well-being,” Yonetani says. “About a decade ago, we discovered that Mozart’s music could boost frontal lobe function by 50%. While its benefits for Alzheimer’s patients have long been recognized, definitive proof has been challenging due to the difficulty of measuring brain function noninvasively.”

This pioneering collaboration between our Pegasus String Quartet at the music department and the College of Medicine bridges music and the brain, using innovative saliva-based technology developed at UCF to provide concrete evidence of its effects. I hope we continue to explore music’s remarkable influence and uncover new ways it can enrich our lives.”

The research aims to enhance the quality of life for patients by utilizing personalized music therapy. The noninvasive nature of salivary exosome analysis makes it an accessible and scalable method that could be widely adopted in clinical settings. Caregivers, who often experience significant emotional and physical stress, will also benefit from the improvements in patients’ mood and cognitive function, as well as the structured and meaningful interactions facilitated by music therapy.

In addition to benefiting Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers, this research holds significant implications for the healthcare and research communities. The study’s findings could pave the way for the incorporation of music therapy as a complementary treatment, providing valuable clinical evidence to support its use. By demonstrating how music therapy influences molecular biomarkers, this research has the potential to revolutionize diagnostic and monitoring tools for Alzheimer’s, with possible applications in other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and various forms of dementia.

Ultimately, this research has the potential to establish music therapy as a scientifically supported and widely accessible treatment for Alzheimer’s, which could transform clinical practices and improve patient care.

This project involves researchers from the College of Arts and Humanities, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, and the Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the UCF College of Medicine, including:

• Ayako Yonetani, School of Performing Arts
• Kiminobu Sugaya, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine
• Mariana Dangiolo, geriatrics and palliative medicine, College of Medicine
• Amoy Fraser, director of clinical and aerospace health research, College of Medicine

Immerse, Rehearse, Perform: An Innovative VR Experience for Overcoming Stage Fright

This project, developed by the CREATE team at UCF, aims to address performance anxiety — specifically public speaking anxiety — in schools. Utilizing immersive virtual reality (VR) technology, the initiative enables users to practice public speaking in a virtual classroom environment. The primary focus is on secondary and high school students, but the VR experience can be beneficial for anyone preparing for public speaking, including professionals such as ministers, motivational speakers, singers and individuals preparing for presentations.

“Our project will combine new technologies in the use of virtual reality and the creation of digital assets in order to produce a complete, interactive, and immersive experience that can assist a user in practicing skills to help overcome anxiety, nervousness, and fear in public speaking and presentations,” says Stella Sung, Director of UCF CREATE.

While existing VR applications assist with performance anxiety during job interviews and public speaking events, this project enhances the experience further. Users can customize their VR practice sessions to simulate a range of disruptions — such as student chatter, tone shifts or camera jitters — and receive simulated audience feedback, providing a more realistic practice environment. This VR tool allows users to rehearse their material repeatedly in various conditions, offering the flexibility to practice at any time and in the comfort of their own homes.

The Boys and Girls Club of Central Florida has expressed a need for technology that can help students overcome performance anxiety and build their confidence. By partnering with UCF CREATE, the students now have access to advanced VR tools, along with opportunities for personal growth and development. The project is designed to be scalable, with the potential to reach schools, community centers, places of worship and other UCF organizations throughout Central Florida.

This project goes beyond skill-building as exposure to VR technology sparks interest in STEM fields and promotes digital literacy within the community, encouraging lifelong learning. It also has the potential to evolve into a commercially available application, expanding its reach and offering a valuable tool for public speaking in various fields.

This project includes researchers from UCF Create, E2i Creative Studio (iST), and Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida:

• Stella Sung, UCF CREATE, School of Visual Arts and Design, College of Arts and Humanities
• Ronald Hargrove, UCF CREATE, School of Visual Arts and Design, College of Arts and Humanities
• Maria Murillo, UCF CREATE, School of Visual Arts and Design, College of Arts and Humanities
• Eileen Smith, E2i Creative Studio, Institute for Simulation and Training, Pegasus Research Center
• Michael Carney, E2i Creative Studio, Institute for Simulation and Training, Pegasus Research Center
• Maria Harrington, Nicholson School of Communication and Media, College of Sciences
• Tasha Banks Robinson, Parramore Club, Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida

New research led by Kiminobu Sugaya, a stem cell researcher and neuroscientist at UCF’s , found that targeting a drug resistant mechanism in cancer stem cells significantly enhanced the efficacy of traditional cancer therapies — making them four times more effective against glioblastoma. Current FDA-approved drugs kill less than 25% of glioblastoma cancer stem cells (CSCs).

These cells are a subpopulation of cancer cells that are highly resistant to current therapies. Scientists theorize that cancer returns and spreads because CSCs remain in the body. That’s why they are exploring ways to kill them outright.

“Cancer stem cells are bad stem cells that are programed to become a cancer,” Sugaya says. “They withstand cancer therapies, raise their ugly head, regrow and metastasize.”

Sugaya’s team developed a new drug delivery system by creating a technology that destroys the RNA, or ribonucleic acid, that the stem cells use as a blueprint to produce proteins. This unique strategy inhibits the expression of embryonic stem cell genes that are pivotal in CSC’s drug resistance. And because embryonic stem cell genes are not expressed in normal adult cells, this breakthrough approach reduces potential for side effects in healthy cells.

Jonhoi Smith is a doctoral student under Sugaya and the first author on their research paper published in the journal Genes. He said the treatment could increase life expectancy for glioblastoma patients.

“This treatment could be a precious gift for glioblastoma patients. When I think about the loved ones I’ve lost in my life — my father, my grandmother — I often wish I could have had more time with them,” he says. “The idea of offering the potential of a whole new life to people who are facing a death sentence in less than a year means a lot to me.”

One of the significant challenges in treating glioblastoma is effectively delivering treatments to the brain. That’s because the brain is protected from external germs and substances by the blood-brain barrier, which can also prevent treatments from reaching brain tissues.

To overcome this obstacle, Sugaya’s therapy is based on exosomes, nano-sized particles with a lipid membrane that are naturally produced by cells. Exosomes function as cellular communicators, transporting proteins, lipids and genetic material between cells, thereby influencing a wide array of biological processes and functions. Their efficiency in carrying molecules across various parts of the body has inspired scientists to investigate exosomes as potential drug delivery vehicles.

“Many current drug delivery systems, including viruses, may cause side effects,” Sugaya explains. “We’re using the body’s natural delivery systems and have developed technologies to modify them to carry therapeutic molecules with targeted delivery to specific tissues.”

Marvin Hausman is CEO of Exousia AI, the company that is funding the glioblastoma exosome preclinical research. He heard about Sugaya’s lab and says that when he visited the lab at UCF’s in Lake Nona, he was inspired by its capacity for innovative discoveries.

“I have thoroughly analyzed this exosome-based targeted drug delivery system many times, and the potential that this unique technology offers.” Hausman says. “We are embarking on a revolutionary new development in medicine.”

Thanks to funding from Exousia AI, the research is advancing to mouse models carrying human glioblastoma, with preliminary results expected as early as this summer.

Sugaya has dedicated more than 40 years to neuroscience research focused on Alzheimer’s disease, with an emphasis on stem cells for the last 26 years. He moved to the U.S. after receiving his doctoral degree from the Science ����ֱ�� of Tokyo in 1988. He joined UCF as a professor in 2004. His cancer research began in 2010 when he discovered stemness gene expressions, the self-renewing and differentiating property that allows stem cells to grow and spread, in CSCs. He is recognized as an expert in the field of exosome research and recently received Florida Innovation Funding from the State Department of Health for his studies.

The National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association on the number of patents received and filed through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Only the first institution listed on the patent is credited. The shows UCF on a steady trajectory of growth, climbing five spots in the world rankings and four nationally.

With 46 patents, UCF was ahead of Carnegie Mellon, Texas A&M and Penn State, and just behind Ohio State (48) and Michigan State (47). The ����ֱ�� of California system (597), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (383) and Stanford ����ֱ�� (229) took the top three spots. UF ranked the highest among the Florida universities, coming in 11^th with 140 patents.

“Patents is one measure of our growth and impact,” says Elizabeth Klonoff, vice president for Research at UCF. “We are strategic about selecting the inventions for patent protection to ensure fiscal responsibility and to maximize the potential of receiving valuable patents. Steady growth of UCF’s research base, inventions, patents and industry licensing partnerships feeds our economic ecosystem, which brings not only financial benefit to UCF, but also solidifies our place as a top-tier research institution. Doing our part means we benefit the local community and the society at large by contributing to technological advancements that improve people’s lives and drive the economy.”

Some of the 46 patents secured in 2020 have been licensed to companies, which invest in taking the product to market. That means more jobs and often investing in facilities, which all impact the economy. For example, one of UCF’s patents for a natural killer-cell therapy against cancer, was licensed to a local company, which was recently acquired by Sanofi, an international pharmaceutical company. Patents are a long-term investment for a university, says Svetlana Shtrom ’08�ѵ���, director of UCF’s Technology Transfer Office.

“Patents themselves do not generate revenue,” she says. “Licensing patents to industry partners to facilitate transformation of promising research results into valuable products brings true benefit to the university and society.  Our data has shown that it takes on average 5 years for 50% of our inventions/technologies to be licensed.  It takes an additional 3 to 5 years or longer for companies to commercialize technologies licensed from the university and to begin selling products.  The benefit to the university is realized when these products positively impact the well-being of our society through improvements in technology and public health.”

Here are some of the inventions and technologies that led to patents in 2020.

Nanoparticle platform stimulates production of natural killer cells

Lead researcher: Associate Professor of Medicine Alicja Copik,

This invention relates to a nanoparticle-based platform for generating potent natural killer (NK) cells for cancer and anti-viral treatment. NK cells are part of the body’s immune system and can kill tumor cells and virus-infected cells. The nanoparticle platform contains agents that stimulate the NK cells to increase their numbers, essentially creating an army of NK cells. This technology is licensed and in development for clinical use.

Combination drug treatment to treat neurological disorders

Lead researcher: Professor of Medicine Kiminobu Sugaya,

This invention relates to a combination therapy to treat neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. , and phenserine, which reduces the production of toxic amyloid plaques in the brain. Mice treated with this combination therapy had increased neural stem cells production and improved performance in memory tasks.

Drug characterization for FDA

Lead Researcher: Associate Professor Debashis Chanda,

This invention relates to a system that can accurately identify the chirality (molecular mirror images) of drugs, proteins, DNA and other molecules at lower detection limits than conventional detection systems. The new technology enables pharmaceutical companies to identify both enantiomers (right- and left-hand versions) of a molecule. Pharmacological and toxicological characterization of chiral molecules plays a crucial role in the Food and Drug Administration approval process since some enantiomers can cause toxic or severe side effects.

High Performance Energy Storage

Lead Researcher: Assistant Professor YeonWoong (Eric) Jung,

This invention relates to low-cost, non-toxic novel materials that enable next-generation supercapacitors to outperform current state-of-the-art energy storage technologies. The new hybrid core/shell nanowires enable manufacturers to produce flexible supercapacitors with exceptional charge−discharge endurance for portable, lightweight consumer electronic devices.

High-power lasers

Lead researcher: Associate Professor Arkadiy Lyakh,

This invention relates to new quantum cascade lasers that provide the ultra-high output power, brightness, and beam quality needed for applications such as hyperspectral imaging, infrared illumination, and military countermeasures that protect aircraft against shoulder-fired heat-seeking missiles.

Track contamination in wetland environments

Lead Researcher: Professor Ni-bin Chang, Civil Engineering Department,

This invention relates to two novel velocimeter devices that assist in the measurement of low-flow velocity and direction of water in both wells and wetland environments. Tracking the movement of nutrients, metals, sediments, and other contamination in slow-moving water is challenging, and these new device designs are easy to use, cost-efficient, have improved accuracy, and are equipped with wireless communication units.

Eco-Friendly Targeted Removal of Fire Ants

Lead researcher: Associate Professor Joshua King,

, such as fire ants and termites, without the use of pesticides. The and provides large volumes of hot water (approximately heated to boiling temperature, 212^oF) to a targeted area. The technology can be used as an alternative to chemical mound treatments or chemical baits in areas unsuitable for pesticide application such as parks and wildlife preserves.

UCF and other public universities in the Florida High Tech Corridor region — the ����ֱ�� of South Florida and ����ֱ�� of Florida — together were awarded 309 U.S. utility patents last year, more than 1½ times the number of patents granted to other globally recognized centers of innovation, including North Carolina’s Research Triangle and the ����ֱ�� of Texas System.

“This achievement by the Corridor Council’s three universities demonstrates the strength of Florida’s innovation ecosystem and its role as a catalyst for statewide economic growth,” says Florida High Tech Corridor Council CEO Paul Sohl, retired Navy rear admiral.

Dr. Melanie Coathup, an internationally recognized specialist in bone regeneration and implant design, has been hired to lead the university’s new Prosthetic Interfaces faculty research cluster, which will work on big problems like these.

The clusters benefit from the strengths of interdisciplinary expertise to tackle large problems, like cybersecurity and renewable energy systems, from multiple perspectives. There are ten core faculty members in the Prosthetic Interfaces cluster – six from the College of Medicine and four from the College of Engineering & Computer Science.

Previously, Coathup was a professor and researcher at ����ֱ�� College London’s Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science, serving as head of the Centre for Cell and Tissue Research. She had spent the past 23 years at UCL, where she was instrumental in establishing their interdisciplinary Medical Sciences & Engineering program. During her career, her research has led to new implant designs for bone cancer patients and the development of a new kind of synthetic bone material to help patients with skeletal injuries regenerate their tissue for a speedier recovery.

“It’s important to expose yourself to new people, new ways of solving things, new equipment and new ideas,” she said. “There’s a chance to build something from scratch – to create something, and be involved in this huge growth that’s happening here.”

The researchers will focus on interfaces for implantable devices, which include artificial hip and knee replacements, as well as pacemakers, neurostimulation devices and cochlear implants. An estimated 25 million Americans are dependent on implantable devices for sustaining them.

“Our use of materials in the body is increasing,” Coathup said. “Decades ago, you were just trying to replace a part. But now, you’re trying to make them smart. You’re trying to make them dynamically interact with the body. You maybe want to have them deliver drugs, or monitor fluids.”

Current prosthetic devices can be prone to degeneration over time, as well as infection. That’s why the materials they’re made from – and the substances they’re coated with – are vital. Vital, too, are the development of smart sensors, which could provide early warning systems for prosthetic device failure.

“I think that a good part of the future of improving patient care is improving the biomaterials that we use, and improving the body’s integration with them,” she said.

Each faculty member of the cluster will contribute their expertise towards the goal of developing intelligent prosthetics. Some, like Kiminobu Sugaya, professor of medicine and head of the College of Medicine’s Neuroscience Division, will focus on improving the brain-machine interface, which would allow for enhanced neuromuscular control and sensory feedback.

Others, like Sudipta Seal, Pegasus Professor and chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, have expertise in nanostructures and biomaterials to build and coat prosthetic devices with.

Elisabeth Brisbois, assistant professor of materials science and engineering and part of the cluster, has researched nitric oxide-releasing polymers that could fight off infection. Working with a multidisciplinary unit will allow researchers to cross-pollinate ideas, she said.

“The collaborative nature of this cluster will have significant impact on research, as it gives us the opportunity to work at the interface of engineering and medicine, fostering advances in both fields.”

The community is already sitting up and taking notice. Albert Manero, president of Limbitless Solutions and a UCF alumnus, is thrilled about his alma mater prioritizing this area of research. At Limbitless, a direct support organization of UCF, he and his team create custom bionic limbs.

“The progress the university has made in developing out this type of research is going to go so far in really having a tangible impact on our community,” he said. “We’re really excited to see the partnerships that are going to develop.”

Coathup anticipates interest in their research from hospital systems, government entities like the U.S. Army, Department of Defense and DARPA, and private entities, with the potential for commercialization of any technology developed.

She’s excited to collaborate with BRIDG, the advanced smart sensor manufacturing center in Kissimmee, as well as the physicians at the VA Medical Center and Nemours, all of which are near her lab in Medical City.

Her focus now is on bringing on new forward-thinking faculty in areas like biomechatronics and neural engineering with the intent of developing undergraduate and graduate curricula later down the road.

She’s also fostering local, national and international relationships with other physicians, engineers and scientists to take the cluster’s research from bench to bedside.

“We need to have clinicians on board,” Coathup said. “We need to know what the clinical challenges are. And then we can develop solutions, eventually leading towards clinical studies, clinical trials, as well as new products that can go into the hospital arena.”

Dr. Kiminobu Sugaya of the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences and Dr. Aristide Dogariu of the College of Optics and Photonics were recently awarded a $329,764 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a noninvasive method for regulating the motion of cells. The study is titled “Optical Control of Cellular Biomechanics.”

“Now we’re working on making tissue in culture, then transplanting it,” Dr. Sugaya said.

The project aims to use a polarized laser to build a blood vessel from adult stem cells that have been extracted from blood, Dr. Sugaya said. The laser will gently control the movement of the cells, nudging them into the correct position layer by layer to create a vessel.

This approach differs from previous technology that used artificial structures called scaffolds to support tissue formation and has several advantages, Dr. Sugaya said. Using a weaker light source instead of a strong laser means there is less danger that the cells would be killed or damaged.

Also, the research could potentially reduce the risk of rejection for transplant patients when their own adult stem cells are used to custom-engineer new organs.

Dr. Sugaya said the project’s optical-control technology also could bring relief to patients suffering from heart disease or diabetes. Diseased blood vessels could be replaced with healthy ones to get more oxygen to a heart or improve circulation in a diabetic who suffers from foot problems.

More research is needed before a patient can take a pill and grow a kidney, as portrayed in “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home”   when Dr. McCoy and a 20th-century patient crossed paths. But the concept of regenerative medicine – using the body’s own stem cells and other factors to repair itself – has moved closer to reality in recent years.

“I like the cooperation between biology and engineering,” said Dr. Sugaya. “It’s a fruitful partnership.”

But a limited supply of stem cells and ethical issues associated with cells from embryonic donors have stalled progress on many fronts. For the past decade, researchers around the world have tried to generate embryonic-like stem cells from adult donors. To achieve stem cells this way, several genes have been required. And many of those genes have been known to trigger cancer. UCF’s approach, called Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology, minimizes the risk because only one gene (Nanog) is used in the process.

A study described in Science noted that the gene, which had not been used by others, is not linked to cancer.

“This technology has the potential of literally changing the entire landscape of regenerative medicine,” said Kiminobu Sugaya, the lead researcher and a professor at UCF’s College of Medicine. “This technology demonstrates the ability to use a patient’s own cells for treatment of a wide range of illness, injury or disease.”

Sugaya has been investigating the potential use of stem cells in treating Alzheimer’s disease for years. He holds dozens of patents including the one for this iPS technology, which was recently licensed to Progenicyte, an emerging biopharmaceutical company Sugaya founded in 2008. Sugaya and Progenicyte will now begin extensive collaborate efforts to advance this new technology from the lab to the treatment of patients.

With better access to stem cells, scientists may be able to open the body’s healing power more quickly, giving Alzheimer, Parkinson, diabetes, cancer and heart disease patients hope that their own cells may help them get rid of these diseases, Sugaya said.

Researchers at the ����ֱ�� (UCF), in partnership with Florida Hospital, have identified a specific gene marker present in brain tumor stem cells that is not present in normal brain stem cells.

Now researchers know how tumor stem cells are different from normal stem cells and they may be able to find ways to stop the tumors from developing.

“This is significant because it gives us a clue,” said UCF Professor Kiminobu Sugaya, who worked on the research project. “Tumor stem cells are thought to play a critical role in making malignant brain tumors resistant to current treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapies. In the future, we may be able to block or target this gene and improve patient survival, especially of the most aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma.”

The team that made the discovery includes UCF’s Sugaya and Florida Hospital doctors Melvin Field, Sergey Bushnev, Nicholas Averopoulos and Angel Alvarez.

Melvin presented the team’s findings at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons annual conference in New Orleans this week. The team’s work earned the Congress’ BrainLAB Neurosurgery Award.