We need this to support neurogenesis and possible stem cells in our damaged brain areas. When is your doctor going to start up clinical trials on this in humans? If your doctor isn't setting up clinical trials call the hospital president and ask why s/he hasn't given those goals to the stroke department head. We have to be the squeaky wheel here because if we don't raise our voices nothing will get done and your grandchildren will have just as bad a recovery as you did. Pay it forward please.
http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=151199&CultureCode=en
Imperial College London and Houston Methodist Research Institute Joint News Release
Scientists have developed tiny ‘nanoneedles’ that have successfully
prompted parts of the body to generate new blood vessels, in a trial in
mice.
The researchers, from Imperial College London and Houston Methodist
Research Institute in the USA, hope their nanoneedle technique could
ultimately help damaged organs and nerves to repair themselves and help
transplanted organs to thrive.
The nanoneedles work by delivering nucleic acids to a specific area.
Nucleic acids are the building blocks of all living organisms and they
encode, transmit and express genetic information. Scientists are
currently investigating ways of using nucleic acids to re-program cells
to carry out different functions.
The nanoneedles are tiny porous structures that act as a sponge to
load significantly more nucleic acids than solid structures. This makes
them more effective at delivering their payload. They can penetrate the
cell, bypassing its outer membrane, to deliver nucleic acids without
harming or killing the cell. The nanoneedles are made from biodegradable
silicon, meaning that they can be left in the body without leaving a
toxic residue behind. The silicon degrades in about two days, leaving
behind only a negligible amount of a harmless substance called
orthosilicic acid.
In a trial described in Nature Materials, the team showed they could
deliver the nucleic acids DNA and siRNA into human cells in the lab,
using the nanoneedles. They also showed they could deliver nucleic acids
into the back muscles in mice. After seven days there was a six-fold
increase in the formation of new blood vessels in the mouse back
muscles, and blood vessels continued to form over a 14 day period. The
technique did not cause inflammation or other harmful side effects.
The hope is that one day scientists will be able to help promote the
generation of new blood vessels in people, using nanoneedles, to provide
transplanted organs or future artificial organ implants with the
necessary connections to the rest of the body, so that they can function
properly with a minimal chance of being rejected.
“This is a quantum leap compared to existing technologies for the
delivery of genetic material to cells and tissues,” said Ennio
Tasciotti, Co-Chair, Department of Nanomedicine at Houston Methodist
Research Institute and co-corresponding author of the paper. “By gaining
direct access to the cytoplasm of the cell we have achieved genetic
reprogramming at an incredible high efficiency. This will let us
personalize treatments for each patient, giving us endless possibilities
in sensing, diagnosis and therapy. And all of this thanks to tiny
structures that are up to 1,000 times smaller than a human hair.”
Professor Molly Stevens, co-corresponding author from the Departments
of Materials and of Bioengineering at Imperial College London, said:
“It is still very early days in our research, but we are pleased that
the nanoneedles have been successful in this trial in mice. There are a
number of hurdles to overcome and we haven’t yet trialled the
nanoneedles in humans, but we think they have enormous potential for
helping the body to repair itself.”
The researchers are now aiming to develop a material like a flexible
bandage that can incorporate the nanoneedles. The idea is that this
would be applied to different parts of the body, internally or
externally, to deliver the nucleic acids necessary to repair and reset
the cell programming.
Dr Ciro Chiappini, first author of the study from the Department of
Materials, added: “If we can harness the power of nucleic acids and
prompt them to carry out specific tasks, it will give us a way to
regenerate lost function. Perhaps in the future it may be possible for
doctors to apply flexible bandages to severely burnt skin to reprogram
the cells to heal that injury with functional tissue instead of forming a
scar. Alternatively, we may see surgeons first applying the nanoneedle
bandages inside the affected region to promote the healthy integration
of these new organs and implants in the body. We are a long way off, but
our initial trials seem very promising.”
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