Cal Poly faculty secure patents for real-world applications
Biomedical engineering senior Erica Duffy replenishes human muscle stem cells with fresh growth media in the Cell Therapy Lab, found in the Frost Center.
Office of Research supported both patents through development process
– Two newly awarded patents developed at Cal Poly aim to address challenges in health care and emergency response, according to the university’s Office of Research.
The patents, developed by biomedical engineering professor Trevor Cardinal and structural engineering professor Long Wang, were supported through the Office of Research, which assists faculty in protecting intellectual property and advancing innovations.
Cardinal’s patent outlines a method to help patients with clogged arteries, a condition that can reduce blood flow and lead to limb amputation. This is especially common in patients with diabetes or obesity. The body sometimes forms natural bypasses to reroute blood around blockages, but these small vessels often do not grow large enough to sustain tissue.
His research focuses on stimulating the growth of those natural bypasses. The concept began during Cardinal’s graduate studies at the University of Arizona, where he studied muscle stem cells and blood vessel remodeling. At Cal Poly, Cardinal continued the research with students by transplanting muscle stem cells into mice. Students Vahid Hamzeinejad and Ethan Tietze are listed as co-inventors on the patent.
“In the lean mice, the cells did nothing, but in the obese mice, they enhanced the growth of natural bypasses,” Cardinal said. “That outcome supported our hypothesis that muscle stem cells can overcome the proinflammatory metabolic environment that has limited the effectiveness of other cell therapies explored for preventing amputations when limb arteries become clogged.”
Cardinal said the results are notable because many vascular disease patients also have metabolic conditions such as diabetes or high cholesterol, which have interfered with other treatments.
“We don’t know if these cells will work in humans yet,” he said. “But our results in mice suggest greater promise for muscle stem cells than other cell types that have already been tested, and found lacking, in clinical trials.”
Next steps in the research include replacing mouse cells with human cells and securing additional funding to study how muscle stem cells communicate with other cells in the body.
Structural engineering Professor Long Wang, left, and graduate student Colby Scanlon present their research on deployable structures, which led to a newly patented hinge design for rapid, foldable construction.
Wang’s patent, developed with graduate student Colby Scanlon, focuses on quickly constructing strong, temporary structures for emergency response and similar needs. The hinge system they designed connects small panels into foldable, rigid forms that can be assembled and disassembled with ease.
“I was looking at deployable structures in space,” Wang said, referencing NASA’s use of foldable habitats. “Inspired by these concepts, I wanted to adapt them for civil applications.”
The system was tested using 3D-printed models and wooden panels and is built around a lightweight, origami-inspired hinge. It can be collapsed for transport and deployed into a usable structure on site. Wang said the design allows for fast, low-cost construction that may have uses in multiple fields.
“It’s not fancy,” he said, “but sometimes the simplest solutions are the best.”
Wang said the technology has potential commercial applications, including temporary event setups and mobile structures for military or other rapid-deployment uses.
For more information on research and technology transfer at Cal Poly, visit the Office of Research at research.calpoly.edu.
