The human nervous system comprises an extremely complex network of neurons joined by synapses. When these synaptic connections fail, the nervous system does not function properly which may eventually leading to injury or disease.

Researchers at Arkansas State University have demonstrated that magnetic nanotubes coupled with nerve growth factor can help enable cells to differentiate into neurons with the possibility of repairing such damage. They noted that rat PC12 cells sent out projections called filopodia towards magnetic nanotubes incorporated with nerve growth factor and made contact with them. At the same time the nanotubes did not appear to display any toxicity. The research raises new hope for developing future treatments for neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Source: PhysOrg.com

Posted: January 19th, 2009 under Regenerative medicine, Nanomedicine.
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Collagen fibres in the natural cartilage protecting the knee are aligned in a parallel orientation. Achieving this configuration, and therefore optimum functionality, in a synthetic cartilage is not easy because collagen is a natural polymer that is difficult to control. Now a student at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya’s School of Industrial and Aeronautic Engineering at Terrassa has managed to achieve this desired effect using electrospun collagen nanofibres.

Camila Flor extruded collagen onto a nonconductive material placed between the two grounded electrospinning collecting plates and believes that the parallel orientation of the nanofibres may be related to the ratio of their diameter to the distance between the collecting plates.

To differentiate chondrocytes from stem cells into functional cartilage, the correct configuration of the scaffold material is important and Camila Flor’s work is an important step in engineering cartilage that might in future be used for knee protection in patients with protheses. The work is part of a larger project, under the supervision of Dr. Juan Hinestroza of Cornell University and funded by the Morgan Family Tissue Engineering Fund.

Source: Science Daily

Posted: November 19th, 2008 under Advanced medtech, Regenerative medicine, Nanomedicine.
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Everyone is familiar with inkjet printing technology. Inkjet printers capable of printing in 3D, one layer on top of the other, have also been around for several years. But now a patent has been filed that claims that complex tissues could be printed in 3D using the same technology.

James Yoo, a surgeon and researcher at the Institute of Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina has used current 3D inkjet printing technology to build up layers of viable cells into complex structures. As in naturally-formed tissues and organs, the cells may comprise a number of different types and growth factors may also be incorporated as well as dyes to help visualise the 3D tissue construct. Yoo claims that the method could be used to make a wide variety of engineered animal or human tissues.

See NewScientistTech for the story or view the patent application abstract.

Posted: January 22nd, 2008 under Regenerative medicine, Nanomedicine, Nanotechnology.
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