Bioengineering

Applications of
Bioengineering in Electrical
Engineering
MPS Department | FEU Institute of Technology
 Bioengineering

Magnetism and
Magnetobiology
MPS Department | FEU Institute of Technology
 OBJECTIVES

• Discuss the relationship of bioengineering and electrical engineering; and

• Analyze applications of bioengineering in electrical engineering.
A spectrum of physical phenomena
involving forces exerted by magnets
on other magnets

Earth is seen as a giant magnet

with two poles.

Magnetism and electricity are tightly

linked phenomena that both exist in
living tissues and cells.
Source: brainpop.com
Involves study of the fields
naturally produced by an
organism

MAGNETOCEPTION
- Ability of some organisms to
detect magnetic fields

MAGNETO-BACTERIA
- Bacteria having nanoparticle Source: humanfrequencies.com
magnets in their bodies
Involves new studies and concepts of magnetic fields
produced in, or applied to biological systems as a
diagnostic approach or a medical treatment.

Recent breakthroughs:
1. Magnetic labeling of stem cells
2. Cancer cell therapy using principles of magnetism
Stem cells are being tracked using magnetic particles
while they are delivered into damaged tissues.

It is a promising tool in cellular treatment of diseases

like stroke.
Goals of cancer therapy:
1. Minimize side-effects of treatment to host’s tissues
2. Treat non-invasively
3. Long-term viability of treatment as stem cells vary in
genotypic expression

Number 3 may be useless if stem cells are destroyed in

the first place.
Two modalities:
1. Nanoparticle therapy (drug delivery)
2. Alternating magnetic field on replicating cancer stem
cells (CSCs)
▪ Transient Treatment Field (TTF)
GOAL: target and destroy CSCs from
replicating (mitosis)

During mitosis:
• All the sister chromatids lined up along
the midline of cell but are still adjoined by
centromere
• The centromere is targeted by spindles
emerging from centrioles at opposite
poles of the cell.
• These spindles have a polarity in charge
due to the molecular composition.
Source: toppr.com
• The spindles will pull the sister chromatids
in opposite direction and will elongate the
cell for division.

Application of TTF alternating fields via

external source will disrupt the polarity of the
spindles of the CSCs, thus mitosis of the
CSCs is also disrupted.

This also lead to dielectrophoretic dislocation

of intracellular macromolecules and
organelles causing the physical disruption of
the cell membrane and programmed cell death Source: toppr.com
or apoptosis.
OTHER ANTICANCER THERAPY
• Results only in apoptosis of
matured cancer cells and/or
inhibits rapid growth of CSCs
• CSC mutants are
produced this way
TTF
• Takes advantage of a cell’s
properties, special
characteristics, geometrical
shape, and rate of division
for targeting – specific
frequencies
• Increased apoptosis of CSCs
results to smaller number of
matured cancer cells
• Additional cancer treatment
to surgery, radiation therapy,
and chemotherapy.
1. TTF is tuned to affect only one cell type at a time. It
does not affect cells that are not undergoing division.
2. TTF does not affect the bone marrow (RBC and WBC
creation).
3. TTF is delivered locally through a physical, non-
chemical pathway allowing treatment of brain tumors.
4. No cumulative damage to healthy tissues in the body
since TTF happens so rapidly.
• A wearable device weighing
around 6 lb that can fit into a
shoulder bag
• Uses non-invasive, insulated
transducer arrays that are
placed directly on the skin in
the region surrounding the
tumor
Source: prnewswire.com
PAVLOVIC, M. (2015). Cell Culture in Bioengineering – Working on 3-Dimensional Culture and
Ink-Jet Printing: Regenerative Medicine (RM). In: Bioengineering A Conceptual Approach.
Springer, Switzerland.

Image sources:
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fda-approves-the-novottf-100a-system-for-the-
treatment-of-patients-with-recurrent-glioblastoma-multiforme-gbm-brain-tumors-
119924919.html
https://www.toppr.com/ask/question/in-mitotic-metaphase-the-limbs-of-the-chromosomes-
occur/
https://www.humanfrequencies.com/tag/biomagnetism/
https://www.brainpop.com/science/motionsforcesandtime/magnetism/