COVERSTORY

STEM-

PHOTO: BILL WITTKOP

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ECELL PIONEERNJIT RESEARCHER WINS PRESIDENTIALAWARD, THE HIGHEST NATIONAL HONORA YOUNG SCIENTIST CAN RECEIVE

WHEN TREENA LIVINGSTON ARINZEH CULTURES ADULT STEM CELLS, SHE SEES

MUCH MORE THAN THE LAB EXPERIMENTS TO WHICH SHE HAS DEVOTED

COUNTLESS HOURS. SHE SEES HEALING. SHE SEES A CHILD WITH AN INJURED

SPINE RECEIVING AN INJECTION OF STEM CELLS THAT REGENERATE HEALTHY

TISSUE AND ALLOW THAT CHILD TO WALK AWAY FROM A WHEELCHAIR.

Arinzeh, assistant professor of biomedical engineer-ing at NJIT, has earned national recognition forher commitment to making such therapy a futurereality. Last fall, President Bush awarded her thehighest national honor that a young researcher canreceive — the Presidential Early Career Award forScientists and Engineers.

In 2003, the National Science Foundation (NSF)also gave Arinzeh its most prestigious honor — aFaculty Early Career Development award that includ-ed a $400,000 research grant. The NSF called herone of the “nation’s best young scientific researchers.”

After she won the Presidential award, U.S. Con-gressman Robert Menendez commended Arinzeh’sachievements by reading them into the CongressionalRecord. “I rise today to honor Treena LivingstonArinzeh for her outstanding work in the field ofstem-cell research,” Menendez said on the floor ofthe House of Representatives. “Today, I ask mycolleagues to join me in honoring Arinzeh, a trail-blazer in the field of stem-cell research. New Jerseyand our nation will greatly benefit from her ground-breaking work.”

At the forefront of therapyWhat is it about Arinzeh’s research that has caughtthe attention of the NSF, President Bush andCongressman Menendez? In addition to its greatfuture promise, her efforts have already yieldedtwo very significant discoveries. Arinzeh has shownthat stem cells can help to regenerate bone tissue,and she has proven that stem cells taken from oneperson can be implanted in another individualwithout being rejected.

William Hunter, chair of NJIT’s Department ofBiomedical Engineering, heads a program that isadvancing therapeutic innovation in many areas,including research into the potential of adult stemcells. (See sidebar, “Redesigning Biomedical Engi-neering at NJIT.”) According to Hunter, Arinzeh’sresearch is unique in that she has had success incrafting the right environment for controlling whatkind of cells stem cells will develop into — nerve,bone or cartilage, for example. “Treena is workingin a world that is at the forefront of medicaltherapy,” he says.

AUTHOR: ROBERT FLORIDAis assistant director ofpublic relations for NJIT.

It was only a decade ago that scientists discoveredthe potential of adult stem cells. Produced by thebody in an undifferentiated state, stem cells even-tually specialize through natural processes to buildand maintain specific tissues and organs. Forresearch purposes, stem cells can be obtained fromsources that include embryos, bone marrow, thebrain and spinal cord, and intestines. Arinzeh worksonly with stem cells taken from adult bone marrow.So the controversy over the ethical implications ofembryonic stem-cell research, in her case, is moot.

To put it simply, when harvested for researchoutside the body, stem cells don’t know what theywant to be when they grow up. Arinzeh aims toprovide them with the guidance they need tobecome different types of cells useful for repairinginjuries and curing disease.

The list of conditions for which stem-cell treat-ment holds promise grows almost daily. It nowincludes Parkinson’s, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cancerand traumatic brain injury. But given the publicityand controversy swirling around stem cells, peopleoften don’t realize that the research is still at an earlystage. It will take years before stem-cell researchtranslates into medical applications that can helpthe sick or injured. Stem-cell research is in a stagecomparable to that of the semiconductor industryduring the 1940s, Arinzeh says — filled with poten-tial but at least five or ten years from becoming aviable medical therapy.

Arinzeh, at age 34, has pushed the basic scienceof stem cells forward and she has a chance of tak-ing it another step. “Treena has all the earmarks ofa technical superstar,” says Michael Jaffe, professorof biomedical engineering and chemistry at NJIT,

who was a research fellow at Hoechst CelaneseCorporation before entering academia. “If anyonecan take stem-cell research forward, she can,” headds. “The odds of her, or of anyone, doing that islike playing the lottery. The odds are against you,but they are a lot worse if you don’t buy a ticket.Treena has a ticket.”

Two winning discoveriesAs mentioned earlier, Arinzeh has already made twostem-cell breakthroughs. Several years ago, her paperin the Journal of Biomedical Materials Researchdocumented the first of these discoveries. The paperfocused on her work with biomaterials known asscaffolds — specifically, calcium phosphates —that act as a framework for growing stem cells andwhich can prompt them to become the cellularbuilding material of bone or other tissues. Arinzehconducted cell-culture experiments and studies of rats with bone defects that showed how the bio-materials stimulated stem cells to produce new bonetissue and repair the animals’ bones.

Her findings could help cancer patients who’vehad tumors removed from their bones, and whomay even face the amputation of an affected limbbecause the diseased area is so extensive. Conceivably,therapy resulting from Arinzeh’s work could repairsuch damage by regenerating bone tissue. Thisapproach could also help osteoporosis patients whohave fractured bones. Other biomaterials she istesting might lead to therapies to repair cartilage,tendons and neuronal tissue.

This research may sound like science fiction, butArinzeh’s lab techniques are fairly standard. Shemixes human blood extracted from bone marrowwith a special liquid and uses a centrifuge to sepa-rate the stem cells. Arinzeh then puts those cells in a culture dish, where they grow on top of a thinfilm of scaffold material. “I wait a few weeks andlook for the properties I want,” she says.

Arinzeh’s second discovery, which she describedin a paper for the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery,was that adult stem cells taken from one personcould be implanted in another without being reject-ed. Scientists had thought that the recipient’simmune system would reject such donor cells. Itwas among the most significant findings in stem-cell research in the past few years.

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“For outstanding research in emerging tissueengineering technologies in which cells,instead of drugs, are used to treat diseasesor disorders. Her educational activitiesinclude developing curricula and communityoutreach to underrepresented groups.”

—Presidential Early Career Award Citation

Partners in researchArinzeh has formed key research partnerships acrossNew Jersey. In addition to NJIT’s Jaffe, she is col-laborating with orthopedic surgeon Louis Rizio on a project that uses stem cells to repair cartilage.Rizio is affiliated with the University of Medicineand Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), which isfunding the research. They have also applied to theNational Institutes of Health for additional funding.

Arinzeh has teamed with another orthopedicsurgeon, Sheldon Lin, to investigate the use of stemcells for bone repair in diabetic patients. She alsodoes research with Joachim Kohn, who directs theNew Jersey Center for Biomaterials. The two arestudying how polymers interact with stem cells,possibly to repair bone, cartilage, and even neuronsin patients suffering from brain injuries.

The makings of an engineerArinzeh didn’t set out to be a stem-cell pioneer.Born and raised in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Arinzehattended the public schools there. Her mother wasa high-school teacher and her father worked as abiochemist. In high school, her favorite subjectswere math and science. Her high-school physicsteacher, a mentor, told her she had the makings of an engineer.

A mechanical engineering major at RutgersUniversity, she became involved with rehabilitativeengineering during a summer internship at theUniversity of California at Berkeley. During thatinternship, she saw how engineers used technologyto help the handicapped through prosthetic devicesand other means. She loved the experience, and it started her on the path to a master’s degree inbiomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins and a PhDat the University of Pennsylvania.

Instead of teaching, Arinzeh’s first job after com-pleting her doctorate was as a product-developmentengineer at Osiris Therapeutics, a biotech companyin Baltimore that specializes in stem-cell basedtherapies. She wanted to see how stem-cell productswere developed, from research to clinical trial, tothe marketplace. There, she saw firsthand the prom-ise and limitations of stem-cell research.

Osiris researchers had made significant strideswith stem cells, and even conducted a Phase Oneclinical trial using them to repair bone in the humanjaw. But they couldn’t overcome one obstacle. Stem

cells can indeed turn into cartilage and bone tissue,but to do so they need something to which they canadhere, and which will consistently prompt them tobecome the type of cells desired for therapy.

“Finding the right scaffold, that’s the trick,”Arinzeh says. “Companies doing stem-cell researchdidn’t know how to identify the right scaffold. AtOsiris, this was a major limitation.”

To overcome this limitation, Arinzeh returned toacademia. In 2001, she joined the faculty at NJIT,where much of her effort is focused on usingcalcium-phosphate scaffolds to promote stem-cellgrowth and differentiation. While Arinzeh hasachieved considerable success, much work remainsto be done with respect to understanding anddirecting the processes involved. It might take fiveyears; it might take ten. But Arinzeh is confidentthat one day she’ll find the “trick” that will lead totherapeutic trials in a clinical setting.

Balancing work and homeWith research, teaching, advising students andapplying for grants, Arinzeh estimates she spendsabout 70 hours a week at work. How does shebalance work and home life? “I don’t,” she quips. “I’dneed three of me to do that.” When pressed, she saysthe key is managing her time well. Her academicschedule is flexible, and she gets a lot of work donebetween 9 p.m. and midnight, after her one-year-old daughter goes to bed.

She lives in Jersey City with her husband, aninvestment banker, and her daughter Nneka, whosename means “woman is great” in Nigerian. Herhusband, Uzo, is Nigerian. They are expectinganother child.

In the free time she does manage to find, Arinzehlikes to travel, see plays, jog, and play with herdaughter. She enjoys taking Nneka to live perform-ances, especially Sesame Street. She also plays theflute, piano, violin and percussion. In high school,she was in the wind ensemble, the orchestra andthe marching band. She was also, she concedes, acheerleader.

What does Arinzeh think about being a blackwoman working in fields dominated by white men?“I don’t think about it much,” she says. “I just workhard. Or I tell myself, ‘you’re unique.’ But I knowit’s a national problem. There are not enough of usin engineering and science.”

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PHOTOS: CHRISTINA CROVETTO

When he first saw the floor plan for the Departmentof Biomedical Engineering in NJIT’s new East Building— a swath of conventional cubicles for classroomsand offices — Associate Professor Richard Fouldsreached for a pen. Foulds, who confesses to be arepressed architect, knew what he and his colleagueswanted — a layout in which spaces for teaching,research and mentoring students would form a singleinteractive unit. So, pen in hand, he redrew the plan.

“The architect did a terrific job of implementing ourideas,” says Foulds, an associate professor of bio-medical engineering, offering a tour of the departmentthat occupies the sixth floor of the East Building. Inthe department’s two teaching studios, Foulds andother faculty members are pioneering a new way toeducate engineers. With the studio method, studentsare educated in the fundamentals of engineering notby lecture and recitation, but by hands-on, experiment-based learning. The studio method was first used inarchitecture schools, Foulds notes, and he and hiscolleagues have adapted it for engineering.

In an introductory design class, students work in teamsto build small robots. One of the robots is programmedto perform angioplasty on pasta; another to performamniocentesis on a jelly donut; and a third is pro-grammed to reattach the perforated tip of a frankfurter.These imaginative exercises teach the students howto use technology to assist surgeons.

“Our students love studio learning, which has causedenrollment in the biomedical department to mush-room,” says Foulds.

Close to the studios are all faculty offices. And it’snot just their professors’ offices that are near the stu-dents. There are ten new labs close by, too, wherestudents work with their instructors on research thatis advancing biomedical engineering.

In the Human Performance Laboratory, for instance,Professor Michael Lacker is working with studentsand colleagues to collect data on human motion. Theyhave developed a new method for finding motionsolutions, based in math and physics, which can helpathletes improve their performance by showing themhow best to move their bodies. The method can alsohelp the elderly or individuals of any age whosemovement has been affected by various impairmentsto find comfortable and safe motion, such as a moreenergy-efficient and stable walk.

REDESIGNING BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING AT NJ IT

Taking a look at the HapticMaster in the new Motor Control and Rehabilitation Laboratory are (left to right) junior Juan F. Londono,graduate student Qinyin Qiu and freshman Hamid Bayce. Student participation in research is a primary goal at NJIT across allacademic programs, including work with the HapticMaster to improve therapies for stroke patients.

Research under way in the Neuromuscular Engineering Labcould lead to a compact wearable system that will improvecommunication for people whose hearing is severely impaired.

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And she does what she can to counter that prob-lem. She received her NSF Faculty Early Careeraward in part because of her proposal to encourageminority and female high-school students in NewJersey and New York to study science and engineer-ing. She mentors Newark high-school studentswho are in Project SEED, the American ChemicalSociety’s social action program. She also gives lectureson stem-cell research and education to teachers atall-girl high schools in northern New Jersey.

“Gender-wise, it’s getting better,” Arinzeh says.“I see a lot of women at academic conferences. Butthe numbers for minorities working in engineeringare stagnant. I’d say only one or two percent of theengineers I see are minorities.”

In the end: hopeSuwah Amara, an African-American woman with arare bone disease, is just the kind of person Arinzehseeks to encourage academically, and to help throughher research. A student in Arinzeh’s biomaterialsclass, Amara is a 22-year-old biomedical-engineer-ing major. She has fibrous dysplasia, which makesher bones so brittle that they can fracture with theslightest exertion.

“My bones break so easily,” says Amara in astraightforward way, without self-pity. “I broke thebone in my upper arm five times. I’ve broken bothmy thighbones. The bone in my lower leg has bro-ken so many times I’ve lost count.” One time, thesimple task of uncapping a pen broke her forearm.

Once, after class, Amara asked Arinzeh if stem-cell research might help cure her brittle bones.Arinzeh spoke with Amara about stem cells andgave her names of researchers who might be work-ing on fibrous dysplasia.

That gave Amara hope. “It’s admirable that Dr.Arinzeh is trying to help people like me,” Amarasays. “One day, I’d love to be able to walk withoutcrutches.” In Amara’s eyes, Arinzeh is a role modelas well. That Arinzeh, a young black woman, receivedthe Presidential award “strengthens the hope of allminority women that we, too, can excel in research,”Amara adds.

But Arinzeh’s relationship with Amara ismutually beneficial. For in the end, it’s knowingpeople like Amara, with her determination tosucceed and yearning to walk unimpaired, thatmotivates Arinzeh to continue spending all thosehours in the lab. ■

In the Motor Control and Rehabilitation Laboratory,there’s a robot known as the HapticMaster. SergeiAdamovich, assistant professor of biomedical engi-neering, has a research grant from the NationalInstitutes of Health to see if robots and computerscan be used to create therapies that help patientsrelearn movements lost as a result of strokes. Onlyone other university in the nation — Northwestern— has a HapticMaster, Adamovich says. A strokepatient with limited movement in his or her armsholds onto the robot’s metal arm, which is pro-grammed to perform repetitive arm exercises. Patientsdo the exercises with the robot while playing virtualreality games on the computer. The games guidetheir motions and make the exercises more fun andengaging. Patients can also wear a programmedglove that helps them open their paralyzed fingers.

The Neuromuscular Engineering Laboratory is whereFoulds and his students are developing a computerprogram to help hearing-impaired people communi-cate. The program is designed to recognize signlanguage and convert it into spoken English and,conversely, to convert spoken words into animatedimages that can be displayed on a small computerscreen. The ultimate goal is to develop a wearablesystem, perhaps one small enough to be incorporatedinto a pair of eyeglasses.

Tara Alvarez, assistant professor of biomedical engi-neering, is conducting research in the Vision andNeural Engineering Laboratory that could help peoplewith vision problems such as those associated withlearning difficulties. She is studying the brain tounderstand the control of eye movements and otherrelated motor functions. Alvarez is using functionalmagnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigatehow motor learning facilitates visual tracking as wellas advanced digital signal processing to researchneuro-control.

It is research like this that has made biomedicalengineering such a success at NJIT — research beingconducted in new spaces that enhance the intellectualexcitement shared by students and faculty alike.

To learn more about biomedical engineering atNJIT, visit www.njit.edu/bme. Also, see “Catchingthe Fourth Wave” by William Hunter in the spring2003 issue of NJIT Magazine at www.njit.edu/pub-licinfo/pdf/wave.pdf.