Today’s cars are like supercomputers on wheels – smarter, safer, faster, and more personalized thanks to technological advances. One transformative innovation steering this revolution is computer vision – AI-driven technology that enables machines to “understand” and react to visual information. Vehicles can now identify the specific…
Professor Emeritus David Lanning, nuclear engineer and key contributor to the MIT Reactor, dies at 96
David Lanning, MIT professor emeritus of nuclear science and engineering and a key contributor to the MIT Reactor project, passed away on April 26 at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachusetts, at the age of 96.
Born in Baker, Oregon, on March 30, 1928, Lanning graduated in 1951 from the University of Oregon with a BS in physics. While taking night classes in nuclear engineering, in lieu of an available degree program at the time, he started his career path working for General Electric in Richland, Washington. There he conducted critical-mass studies for handling and designing safe plutonium-bearing systems in separation plants at the Hanford Atomic Products Operation, making him a pioneer in nuclear fuel cycle management.
Lanning was then involved in the design, construction, and startup of the Physical Constants Testing Reactor (PCTR). As one of the few people qualified to operate the experimental reactor, he trained others to safely assess and handle its highly radioactive components.
Lanning supervised experiments at the PCTR to find the critical conditions of various lattices in a safe manner and conduct reactivity measurements to determine relative flux distributions. This primed him to be an indispensable asset to the MIT Reactor (MITR), which was being constructed on the opposite side of the country.
An early authority in nuclear engineering comes to MIT
Lanning came to MIT in 1957 to join what was being called the “MIT Reactor Project” after being recruited by the MITR’s designer and first director, Theos “Tommy” J. Thompson, to serve as one of the MITR’s first operating supervisors. With only a handful of people on the operations team at the time, Lanning also completed the emergency plan and startup procedures for the MITR, which achieved criticality on July 21, 1958.
In addition to becoming a faculty member in the Department of Nuclear Engineering in 1962, Lanning’s roles at the MITR went from reactor operations superintendent in the 1950s and early 1960s, to assistant director in 1962, and then acting director in 1963, when Thompson went on sabbatical.
In his faculty position, Lanning took responsibility for supervising lab subjects and research projects at the MITR, including the Heavy Water Lattice Project. This project supported the thesis work of more than 30 students doing experimental studies of sub-critical uranium fuel rods — including Lanning’s own thesis. He received his PhD in nuclear engineering from MIT in fall 1963.
Lanning decided to leave MIT in July 1965 and return to Hanford as the manager of their Reactor Neutronics Section. Despite not having plans to return to work for MIT, Lanning agreed when Thompson requested that he renew his MITR operator’s license shortly after leaving.
“Because of his thorough familiarity with our facility, it is anticipated that Dr. Lanning may be asked to return to MIT for temporary tours of duty at our reactor. It is always possible that there may be changes in the key personnel presently operating the MIT Reactor and the possible availability of Dr. Lanning to fill in, even temporarily, could be a very important factor in maintaining a high level of competence at the reactor during its continued operation,” Theos J. Thompson wrote in a letter to the Atomic Energy Commission on Sept. 21, 1965
One modification, many changes
This was an invaluable decision to continue the MITR’s success as a nuclear research facility. In 1969 Thompson accepted a two-year term appointment as a U.S. atomic energy commissioner and requested Lanning to return to MIT to take his place during his temporary absence. Thompson initiated feasibility studies for a new MITR core design and believed Lanning was the most capable person to continue the task of seeing the MITR redesign to fruition.
Lanning returned to MIT in July 1969 with a faculty appointment to take over the subjects Thompson was teaching, in addition to being co-director of the MITR with Lincoln Clark Jr. during the redesign. Tragically, Thompson was killed in a plane accident in November 1970, just one week after Lanning and his team submitted the application for the redesign’s construction permit.
Thompson’s death meant his responsibilities were now Lanning’s on a permanent basis. Lanning continued to completion the redesign of the MITR, known today as the MITR-II. The redesign increased the neutron flux level by a factor of three without changing its operating power — expanding the reactor’s research capabilities and refreshing its status as a premier research facility.
Construction and startup tests for the MITR-II were completed in 1975 and the MITR-II went critical on Aug. 14, 1975. Management of the MITR-II was transferred the following year from the Nuclear Engineering Department to its own interdepartmental research center, the Nuclear Reactor Laboratory, where Lanning continued to use the MITR-II for research.
Beyond the redesign
In 1970, Lanning combined two reactor design courses he inherited and introduced a new course in which he had students apply their knowledge and critique the design and economic considerations of a reactor presented by a student in a prior term. He taught these courses through the late 1990s, in addition to leading new courses with other faculty for industry professionals on reactor safety.
Co-author of over 70 papers, many on the forefront of nuclear engineering, Lanning’s research included studies to improve the efficiency, cycle management, and design of nuclear fuel, as well as making reactors safer and more economical to operate.
Lanning was part of an ongoing research project team that introduced and demonstrated digital control and automation in nuclear reactor control mechanisms before any of the sort were found in reactors in the United States. Their research improved the regulatory barriers preventing commercial plants from replacing aging analog reactor control components with digital ones. The project also demonstrated that reactor operations would be more reliable, safe, and economical by introducing automation in certain reactor control systems. This led to the MITR being one of the first reactors in the United States licensed to operate using digital technology to control reactor power.
Lanning became professor emeritus in May 1989 and retired in 1994, but continued his passion for teaching through the late 1990s as a thesis advisor and reader. His legacy lives on in the still-operational MITR-II, with his former students following in his footsteps by working on fuel studies for the next version of the MITR core.
Lanning is predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Gloria Lanning, and is survived by his two children, a brother, and his many grandchildren.
MIT Supply Chain Management Program earns top honors in three 2024 rankings
MIT’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) Master’s Program, housed within the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics (CTL) at the Institute’s School of Engineering, has been named top master’s program for supply chain management for 2024 by three leading global rankings institutions: QS World University Rankings, Eduniversal, and Supply Chain Digital.
QS World University Rankings, recognized for its thorough evaluation of over 1,500 institutions across 104 locations worldwide, has singled out MIT SCM as the premier program in the field. QS considers five main facets in determining rankings: employability of degree recipients; alumni CEO and executive outcomes; tuition, alumni salaries, and return on investment; thought leadership and research impact; and class and faculty diversity. With an emphasis on career sustainability and growth, QS’s acknowledgment reflects MIT’s commitment to preparing students for success in today’s dynamic business landscape.
Eduniversal, known for its exhaustive review of over 5,800 master’s and MBA programs across 50-plus fields of study spanning more than 150 countries, also bestowed the No. 1 ranking upon MIT’s SCM program. Eduniversal’s assessment takes into consideration the MIT Global SCALE Network of six innovation centers (MIT CTL, Ningbo China Institute for Supply Chain Innovation, Zaragoza Logistics Center, Center for Latin-American Logistics Innovation, the Malaysia Institute for Supply Chain Innovation, and Luxembourg Center for Logistics and Supply Chain Management), underscoring MIT’s global impact and leadership in real-world applications in supply chain education.
Supply Chain Digital, a leading industry publication with an audience of global logistics executives, recently honored MIT CTL as the provider of the No. 1 supply chain program globally. This recognition highlights MIT’s influence in shaping the future of supply chain from the perspective of company leadership and management.
In addition to its master’s program, MIT CTL offers an online MicroMasters program, which registered its one-millionth learner in late 2022. After finishing the online program, certificate holders can apply to MIT (and other universities) and obtain a full master’s degree in a single semester.
“Our program prides itself on its interdisciplinary curriculum and close collaboration with industry leaders,” says Maria Jesús Saénz, executive director of the MIT SCM Masters Programs, “so that our graduates can emerge equipped with the skills, knowledge, and mindset needed to tackle the complex and dynamic challenges facing modern supply chains. We are as committed as ever to fostering excellence and driving positive, real-world challenges.”
MIT CTL has been a world leader in supply chain management education and research for more than five decades. The center has made significant contributions to supply chain and logistics and has helped numerous companies gain competitive advantage from its cutting-edge research.
“We are thrilled by the recognition of the SCM program by these esteemed organizations,” says Professor Yossi Sheffi, director of the MIT CTL. “This achievement reflects the dedication of our faculty, staff, and students in serving as a world leader in supply chain management education and research by driving supply chain innovation into practice.”
More Job Cuts At Xbox Are Reportedly On The Way
More cuts at Xbox are reportedly on the way, with some staff at ZeniMax getting offered voluntary severance agreements this week. This news comes from a Bloomberg report that says employees across the Xbox organization have been told to expect more cuts.
These potential layoffs would follow Xbox’s decision to shutter four Bethesda studios earlier this week, including Hi-Fi Rush team Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin. As for the staff offered voluntary severance agreements, Bloomberg reports that producers, quality assurance testers, and other staff at ZeniMax are receiving them.
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The publication also reports the reason Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin were shut down this week is that they were in the process of pitching new projects and hiring additional staff for said projects, something suggested by ZeniMax head Jill Braff and Xbox president Matt Booty during a town hall held this week. Xbox and ZeniMax chose to shut these studios down – both in the beginning processes of creating new games – instead of closing a studio deeper in development on projects.
Elsewhere in Bloomberg’s report, which details an internal town hall held at Xbox following the studio closures this week, Booty reportedly described its studios as spread too thin, like “peanut butter on bread,” and that leaders across the company felt understaffed. Xbox closed three studios and had ZeniMax Online Studios absorb Roundhouse Games to free up resources. Braff said during the meeting, “It’s hard to support nine studios all across the world with a lean central team with an ever-growing plate of things to do. I think we were about to topple over.”
These studio closures follow the January layoffs of 1,900 employees at Xbox, Activision Blizzard, and ZeniMax, which add to the total of more than 10,000 laid off in the games industry just this year.
[Source: Bloomberg]
How do you feel about Xbox? Let us know in the comments below!
Warner Bros. Discovery Boss Calls Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League’s Release ‘Disappointing’
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League’s release was “disappointing” for the company. He said this during Warner Bros. Discovery’s Q1 financial results call, noting its games revenue declined a lot compared to last year, as reported by IGN.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League was likely never going to perform well for Warner Bros. Discovery’s gaming division compared to the sector’s revenue last year, which was anchored in the release of Hogwarts Legacy, the best-selling game of 2023 and the first non-Call of Duty game to take that spot in years. Still, as critics and players will tell you, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League was a disappointing release from Rocksteady Studios, the team behind the Batman: Arkham series – you can read Game Informer’s Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League review here to find out why we gave it a 6 out of 10.
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After Zaslav called the game disappointing, Warner Bros. Discovery chief financial officer Gunnar Wiedenfels added, “Starting with studios, the $400 million-plus year-over-year decline during Q1 was primarily due to the very tough [competition] we faced in games against the success of Hogwarts Legacy last year in the first quarter, in conjunction with the disappointing Suicide Squad release this past quarter, which we impaired, leading to a $200 million impact to EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization] during the first quarter.”
That’s a lot of money lost, and given the state of the games industry this year, it’s hard not to worry about the status of Rocksteady post-Suicide Squad. With studios closing left and right, and more than 10,000 employees laid off this year in the games industry, it wouldn’t be surprising (however heartbreaking) to see Rocksteady go through job cuts. Here’s hoping they don’t.
For more about the game, listen to Game Informer’s spoiler-filled breakdown of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, and then read about the Joker’s debut as a playable character.
[Source: IGN]
Are you still playing Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League? Let us know in the comments below!
Xbox Reportedly Debating Putting Call Of Duty On Game Pass Alongside Price Hike
Microsoft is reportedly debating putting Call of Duty on Xbox Game Pass alongside a price hike to the subscription service. This comes from a new report at The Verge that follows news earlier this week that Xbox was closing some of its Bethesda studios, including Hi-Fi Rush team Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin.
The Verge’s Tom Warren writes, “Microsoft has also had internal debates about whether to put new releases of Call of Duty into Game Pass. I understand this is a debate that has been ongoing internally for quite some time, with concerns from some that the revenue that Call of Duty typically generates for Activision Blizzard will be undermined by Game Pass.”
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This touches on a potential issues players and analysts have pointed out with Xbox’s strategy. After spending billions on acquisitions in recent years, Xbox presumably needs to make more money. However, it’s big draw as a platform is Game Pass. Ideally, big new releases and critical hits, like Hi-Fi Rush and Call of Duty games, bring in large swaths of new subscribers, which offsets the loss of full-price sales that happens because of Game Pass. But Game Pass subscriptions have leveled off, with a peak around 2019 to 2021. If Game Pass isn’t getting new subscribers, and Game Pass releases hurt traditional sales of a game, it’s easy to see why the company might be debating internally about whether or not something like a new Call of Duty (almost always the best-selling game of any given year) should launch on Game Pass.
Alongside this debate, The Verge’s report states Microsoft has also considered increasing the price of Game Pass Ultimate again, noting that this and the Call of Duty discussion are just considerations and might remain that.
For more, read Game Informer’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III review, and then read about Xbox’s June games showcase and the secret (probably Call of Duty-focused) direct happening afterward.
[Source: The Verge]
How do you feel about Xbox’s strategy as of late? Let us know in the comments below!
Animal Well Review – A Masterclass In Environmental Design – Game Informer
Animal Well pleased, surprised, or scared me with something new at every turn as it confidently jumped from one idea to the next up until its conclusion. That novelty lost its luster near the end of its 8-to-10-hour runtime as I treaded the fresh sheen off familiar ground, but it never lost its lively, naturalistically wild heart – even when occasional difficulty spikes compounded that staleness. Still, its tense atmosphere is inherently compelling. Illuminated by dangling lanterns and brought to life with lovingly animated animals and Rube Goldberg-like puzzles but dimmed by an ominous synth tone reminiscent of Twin Peaks’ haunting score, Animal Well establishes itself with a rare, masterful sense of place without missing a beat.
In Animal Well, you play as a little blob who must get home. Similar to other Metroidvania games like Super Metroid or Hollow Knight, your path is anything but linear; you must collect items and powerups that unlock new abilities, which will – sometimes literally – open up new doors.
Starting as a powerless, adorable little blob became a distant memory as I added to my menagerie of movement-enhancing and puzzle-solving tools. These playful tools like a frisbee, bubble wand, yo-yo, or Slinky highlight Animal Well’s madcap nature. Each tool has clever alternate uses that encouraged me to brush up against what I previously thought its barriers were in stimulating ways. Instead of awkwardly rubbing up against the seams of this Swiss Watch of a world, it felt like I was pulling a fast one on the creator Billy Basso – even though he was probably in on my scheme.
I first realized the multifaceted power these tools hold when I was fighting off one of Animal Well’s ghosts after setting off some firecrackers to scare one out of a dark room. Normally, you can’t check your map in the dark. But setting off these firecrackers suddenly lit up the room enough for me to check my map. These kinds of immersive touches add layers of flavor and liveliness to its world.
Stretching and going beyond what you thought was possible in Animal Well reveals a wealth of secrets and surprises, like the collectible Secret Eggs. Expanding your ovate arsenal opens up fast travel options and even more game-expanding trinkets. Basso’s love for museums and architecture shines through in Animal Well’s richly realized world. Furnished by bespoke landmarks like tile art murals of rabbits, statuettes of capybaras, and rats running in hamster wheels that power The Well’s mystic mechanisms, these flourishes (sometimes literally) electrify each room.
It subtly balances the right amount of cheek into its surreal vibe, too. At one point, I found myself looking for the next corridor to spelunk. Assuming I’d at least find an egg, I hopped down a large pit. Hitting the ground with an unceremonious “thunk,” I landed near three penguin-shaped shrubs I’d walked past minutes before. Landing at the decoration again after a fall, with the only way back up being a grueling climb, gave it meaning and life. I could feel its developers poking fun at my flightless avatar.
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Animal Well hides its fangs in its main character’s powerlessness: there’s no fighting back against the bigger predators that chase you down. Usually, those moments highlight a clever approach to progression. But they sometimes dredge up its greatest flaw. Like many classics of the genre, the only checkpoints here are its save points. With only a handful scattered throughout the map, I spent much time revisiting rooms I’ve already explored top-to-bottom. This would be damning for a game with a worse sense of style, but the act of smelling Animal Well’s roses is so sweet that it’s nothing more than an inconvenience.
Teeming with life, secrets, and charm that surprise and delight, Animal Well held my full, undivided attention. Even in its most trying moments, it left a mark of endearment on me thanks to its absorbing soundscape, distinct yet familiar pixel-based art style, and flexible, mold-breaking approach to exploration.
Xbox Reportedly Considering Bringing Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II To PS5
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II hits Xbox Series X/S and PC later this month on May 21. However, its release arrives at a rocky period for Xbox, which just shuttered four Bethesda studios, including Hi-Fi Rush team Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin. As a result, Xbox players have wondered how safe Hellblade II developer Ninja Theory might be after its sequel’s release, given Hi-Fi Rush was a “break out hit” for the company but wasn’t enough to keep Tango open.
Perhaps to help boost Hellblade II’s sales, Xbox is reportedly considering bringing the game to PlayStation 5, according to The Verge. The publication’s Tom Warren writes, “I understand Hellblade II is another game that Microsoft has been considering for the PS5. If that ever happens, at this point, it’s not clear if even that would be considered a success.”
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Hellblade II coming to PS5 wouldn’t be out of left field, considering Xbox has brought previously exclusive games like Grounded, Sea of Thieves, and Hi-Fi Rush to PS5 this year. However, with the launch of Hellblade II happening in just a few weeks, it seems if it does come to PS5, it will be post-launch, which lines up with Xbox’s strategy in this realm thus far.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II hits Xbox Series X/S and PC on May 21, 2024.
For more about the game, check out the Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II PC specs and system requirements, and then read about how Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will be locked to 30 FPS on Xbox Series X/S. After that, read about how the game will have a photo mode at launch.
[Source: The Verge]
Do you hope Xbox brings Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II to PS5? Let us know in the comments below!
Two-thirds of organizations are not prepared for AI risks – CyberTalk
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Artificial intelligence is the new epicenter of value creation. Employees across industries are ecstatic about deploying easily accessible generative AI tools to elevate the quality of their output and to improve efficiency.
According to the latest research, 60% of employees use generative AI tools to augment their efforts. Roughly 42% of organizations say that they permit use of generative AI in the workplace, although only 15% retain formal policies governing the everyday use of AI.
And among organizations that permit the application of generative AI to everyday tasks, research indicates that only a third keep an eye on the ethical, cyber security and data privacy risks inherent in the technology.
Explaining the lack of suitable AI policies
The gap between AI use and AI governance can be attributed to the fact that senior organizational leaders aren’t particularly comfortable with AI technologies – and nor are the department heads and team leads around them.
In addition, AI is a fast moving field. The policies that made sense three months ago may no longer be relevant now or may not be relevant three months into the future. Most organizations lack tiger teams that can spend all day iterating on policies, although developing AI governance teams may quickly become a competitive advantage.
For organizations with existing AI policies, employee enthusiasm surrounding the benefits of AI may supersede their interest in adhering to top-down policies, especially if there are no incentives for doing so or consequences for flouting the rules.
Addressing AI risks (in general)
As noted previously, some organizations are struggling with top-down AI policy implementations. To overcome this challenge, experts suggest that organizations build AI policies, specifically those concerning ChatGPT and similar tools, from the ‘ground-up’. In other words, leaders may wish to solicit ideas and feedback from all employees across the organization.
Organizations may also want to leverage repudiated, industry-backed frameworks and resources for the development of responsible and effective AI governance policies. Resources to review include NIST’s AI Risk Management Framework and ISACA’s new online courses.
Addressing AI risks (in cyber security)
In relation to cyber security, the AI risks are numerous and varied. There are risks stemming from employee data inputs to AI models, risks concerning ‘data poisoning’, risks related to evolving threats, risks related to bias due to the opacity of models, and more.
For incisive and influential resources designed to help cyber security leaders mitigate risks pertaining to AI, check out the following:
Despite the aforementioned resources, leaders may still feel under-prepared to make policy decisions surrounding cyber security, data security and AI. If this sounds like you, consider AI governance and training certificate programs.
- The Global Skill Development Council (GSDC) offers a Generative AI in Risk and Compliance certification that covers how AI can be used in cyber security and that steers leaders towards ethical considerations.
- The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) offers AI governance training that focuses on deploying trustworthy AI systems that comply with emerging laws and current laws. It also covers other AI and security-related risk management topics.
- The SANS Institute offers an AI Security Essentials for Business Leaders course that addresses balancing AI-related productivity gains with risk management.
Building a secure future together
Check Point understands the transformative potential of AI, but also recognizes that, for many organizations, security concerns abound. Rapid AI adoption, fueled by employee enthusiasm, can leave security teams scrambling to keep up.
This is where Check Point’s Infinity Platform comes in. The Check Point Infinity Platform is specifically designed to address the unique security challenges presented by the “AI revolution.” It empowers organizations to thrive amidst uncertainty and tough-to-keep-up with regulations.
Prioritize your cyber security. Discover a comprehensive and proactive approach to safeguarding systems that use AI with a system that is powered by AI. Learn more here.
To receive compelling cyber insights, groundbreaking research and emerging threat analyses each week, subscribe to the CyberTalk.org newsletter.
New treatment could reverse hair loss caused by an autoimmune skin disease
Researchers at MIT, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School have developed a potential new treatment for alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss and affects people of all ages, including children.
For most patients with this type of hair loss, there is no effective treatment. The team developed a microneedle patch that can be painlessly applied to the scalp and releases drugs that help to rebalance the immune response at the site, halting the autoimmune attack.
In a study of mice, the researchers found that this treatment allowed hair to regrow and dramatically reduced inflammation at the treatment site, while avoiding systemic immune effects elsewhere in the body. This strategy could also be adapted to treat other autoimmune skin diseases such as vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis, the researchers say.
“This innovative approach marks a paradigm shift. Rather than suppressing the immune system, we’re now focusing on regulating it precisely at the site of antigen encounter to generate immune tolerance,” says Natalie Artzi, a principal research scientist in MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and an associate faculty member at the Wyss Institute of Harvard University.
Artzi and Jamil R. Azzi, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, are the senior authors of the new study, which appears in the journal Advanced Materials. Nour Younis, a Brigham and Women’s postdoc, and Nuria Puigmal, a Brigham and Women’s postdoc and former MIT research affiliate, are the lead authors of the paper.
The researchers are now working on launching a company to further develop the technology, led by Puigmal, who was recently awarded a Harvard Business School Blavatnik Fellowship.
Direct delivery
Alopecia areata, which affects more than 6 million Americans, occurs when the body’s own T cells attack hair follicles, leading the hair to fall out. The only treatment available to most patients — injections of immunosuppressant steroids into the scalp — is painful and patients often can’t tolerate it.
Some patients with alopecia areata and other autoimmune skin diseases can also be treated with immunosuppressant drugs that are given orally, but these drugs lead to widespread suppression of the immune system, which can have adverse side effects.
“This approach silences the entire immune system, offering relief from inflammation symptoms but leading to frequent recurrences. Moreover, it increases susceptibility to infections, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer,” Artzi says.
A few years ago, at a working group meeting in Washington, Artzi happened to be seated next to Azzi (the seating was alphabetical), an immunologist and transplant physican who was seeking new ways to deliver drugs directly to the skin to treat skin-related diseases.
Their conversation led to a new collaboration, and the two labs joined forces to work on a microneedle patch to deliver drugs to the skin. In 2021, they reported that such a patch can be used to prevent rejection following skin transplant. In the new study, they began applying this approach to autoimmune skin disorders.
“The skin is the only organ in our body that we can see and touch, and yet when it comes to drug delivery to the skin, we revert to systemic administration. We saw great potential in utilizing the microneedle patch to reprogram the immune system locally,” Azzi says.
The microneedle patches used in this study are made from hyaluronic acid crosslinked with polyethylene glycol (PEG), both of which are biocompatible and commonly used in medical applications. With this delivery method, drugs can pass through the tough outer layer of the epidermis, which can’t be penetrated by creams applied to the skin.
“This polymer formulation allows us to create highly durable needles capable of effectively penetrating the skin. Additionally, it gives us the flexibility to incorporate any desired drug,” Artzi says. For this study, the researchers loaded the patches with a combination of the cytokines IL-2 and CCL-22. Together, these immune molecules help to recruit regulatory T cells, which proliferate and help to tamp down inflammation. These cells also help the immune system learn to recognize that hair follicles are not foreign antigens, so that it will stop attacking them.
Hair regrowth
The researchers found that mice treated with this patch every other day for three weeks had many more regulatory T cells present at the site, along with a reduction in inflammation. Hair was able to regrow at those sites, and this growth was maintained for several weeks after the treatment ended. In these mice, there were no changes in the levels of regulatory T cells in the spleen or lymph nodes, suggesting that the treatment affected only the site where the patch was applied.
In another set of experiments, the researchers grafted human skin onto mice with a humanized immune system. In these mice, the microneedle treatment also induced proliferation of regulatory T cells and a reduction in inflammation.
The researchers designed the microneedle patches so that after releasing their drug payload, they can also collect samples that could be used to monitor the progress of the treatment. Hyaluronic acid causes the needles to swell about tenfold after entering the skin, which allows them to absorb interstitial fluid containing biomolecules and immune cells from the skin.
Following patch removal, researchers can analyze samples to measure levels of regulatory T cells and inflammation markers. This could prove valuable for monitoring future patients who may undergo this treatment.
The researchers now plan to further develop this approach for treating alopecia, and to expand into other autoimmune skin diseases.
The research was funded by the Ignite Fund and Shark Tank Fund awards from the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.