center for biomedical physics

Millimeter Wave (MW) Therapy is the application of low-intensity millimeter-wavelength electromagnetic waves in the treatment of a large variety of diseases including:

• Cardiovascular disorders
• Diabetes
• Dermatitis
• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Wound healing
• Pain relief
• Reduction of toxic side effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients

MWs, a form of microwaves, are non-ionizing and are administered onto a localized area of the skin at a sufficiently low intensity that there is no perceptible heating. Although MW therapy has been used extensively throughout the former Soviet Union with very impressive successes, it is virtually unknown to Western physicians. In addition to its demonstrated effectiveness, it is a non-invasive, painless, relatively inexpensive modality with exceedingly rare and minor side effects. A major scientific question is how does it work; how can a localized MW exposure on the skin result in therapeutic success in a large number of remote or generalized pathologies. The purpose of this Center of Excellence is to answer this question. Our overall aims are:

1. To understand the basic mechanisms underlying millimeter wave therapy, and
2. To provide guidance for enhancing its therapeutic efficacy

The Center focuses on three projects and two cores. The projects are:

1. Fundamental Physical Interactions of MW with the Skin
2. MW and Drug Induced Modulation of the Immune System, and
3. MW Treatment of Experimental Neuropathic Pain and Pruritis

There is an Administrative Core and an Instrumentation Core. The projects and cores are strongly integrated with each other, thereby producing a research program that is significantly stronger than the sum of its individual projects.