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In research, small breakthroughs can make big impacts . . . impacts that can save lives.
Dr. Jim Adair and his team at Penn State have made an important breakthrough on a minute
scale . . . the nano scale. Their innovative nano-science development is transforming the
way we treat and detect cancer.
Jim Adair: Cancer is treated in two fundamental ways: Chemotherapy and surgical intervention.
And with smaller instrumentation we can take out smaller lesions. With our bio-imaging
capability we can detect smaller lesions.
The drug delivery and detection system -- called Nano-Jackets -- changes the way drugs are
delivered to caner patients. Instead of toxic chemotherapy or invasive surgery, a special
"skin" on the nano-jackets releases the drugs directly to the cancer cells.
Nano jackets also provide an imaging aspect that allows for early detection of cancer.
Jim Adair: so that provides the hope to be able to eventually eliminate cancers at the
cellular level, at least clusters of cellular, long before there's chance of metastasis.
Passionate about his research, Dr. Adair's efforts became even more personal in 2007
and 2008 when both he and his wife were diagnosed and treated for cancer.
Jim Adair: Between my wife and I, we have a thorough understanding the impact cancer
treatment has not just on the patient, but on the family as well.
Such hard earned lessons transfer to Dr. Adair's classroom.
Jim Adair: I tell my students, get in the lab, make mistakes, don't make the same mistakes
twice and keep moving forward.
And move forward they do. Dr. Adair's Material Science and Bioengineering lab has been recently
certified as a practice facility for making particles for human treatment.
Jim Adair: We're moving a rapidly as possible toward true human health care. So quite literally,
future generations of cancer patients won't have to go through, what my family and I went
through.
PENN STATE... Inspiring Researchers.