Faculty researchers at Indiana University are advancing cancer therapeutics and wearable health monitoring devices through the development of innovative methods.

Here are the most recent patents awarded for IU discoveries in the past two months from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office:

• Flexible proximity sensor for wearable smart devices: The developers are Mangilal Agarwal, director of the Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute, and Hamid Dalir, former associate professor at IU Indianapolis. The ultralight and flexible proximity sensor can detect objects with 100 microns resolution with numerous frequencies. The low-cost, durable sensor has low power consumption compared to alternatives. The sensor can be integrated in numerous devices such as wearable gadgets, health monitoring devices, portable electronics, and automotive and aerospace parts.
• Inhibitor for the treatment of lung cancer: The developers are John Turchi, chair of the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Pharmacology; Pamela VanderVere-Carozza, research assistant; and Navnath Gavande, former research assistant professor, all at the IU School of Medicine. The Replication Protein A, or RPA, binds to single-stranded DNA and plays roles in DNA replication, repair, recombination and damage response. Cancer cells divide quickly and cause DNA damage; however, when the RPA protein is inhibited, the DNA damage builds up and the cancer cells stop dividing or die. The RPA inhibitor can be used as a therapeutic for lung cancer.
• Method that activates T-cells in vitro: The developer is Yan Yu, former professor in the Department of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences at IU Bloomington. T cells, a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes, are key players in protecting the body’s immune system from infections and cancer and are needed in therapies to help fight off diseases. The method activates T cells in vitro for use in therapies for treating cancer, autoimmune diseases and viral infections. This is the second patent for this technology.

These innovations were disclosed to the IU Innovation and Commercialization Office, which transfers IU innovations from lab to market for public benefit and global impact. The office files patents to facilitate commercialization of the innovations.