Bruce Yu, PhD
 | Associate Professor |
Dr. Yu's research falls into two categories: the engineering of mechanosensors to aid the repair and rehabilitation of injured musculoskeletal tissues, and the delivery of radiopharmaceuticals for cancer therapy. In both cases, he is developing materials and processes that would allow doctors to monitor patients in real time and without surgery.
Mechanosensors measure mechanical forces in the human body, providing doctors with information used to guide the treatment and repair of musculoskeletal tissue damage. Currently, they are made of metals, ceramics and plastics. Surgery is required both to implant and retrieve them. Dr. Yu's goal is to develop soft, force-sensitive materials that can be injected into a patient’s body. Their reactions to conditions at injury sites would be recorded in a force-response profile, measured non-invasively by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). After measurements are taken, the mechanosensors would degrade automatically and harmlessly, so no surgery would be needed.
Currently, Dr. Yu is developing force-sensitive nanofiber networks (FSNN). FSNN are made of pliable biomaterials (peptides and their derivatives), so that they are both injectable and biodegradable. Magnetic probes that can be detected by MRI are embedded in the FSNN. It was Yu's work in this area that earned him NIH funding and the PECASE award.
For the delivery of radiopharmaceuticals—drugs that carry radionuclides as part of radiation therapy for cancer—Dr. Yu is developing fluorocarbon nanoparticles as multifunctional delivery vehicles. His approach is to integrate MRI with targeted therapy, allowing doctors to guide monitor radiopharmaceuticals in real time, then create individualized treatment plans for cancer patients based on their responses to the medication. This project has received funding from the NIH and the PHRMA Foundation, and earned him the Kimmel Scholar Award.
In both cases, Dr. Yu is trying to develop 1H-19F dual nuclei MRI techniques. If successful, it will help to accurately determine the amount of a drug delivered to a particular site (microdosimetry) or the magnitude of forces experienced by a particular site.
Chemistry is the foundation of Dr. Yu's research. A significant portion his work is devoted to the design and synthesis of new molecules, which form the basis of his new materials and devices.