Chip Reprograms Cells To Regenerate Damaged Tissue (scientificamerican.com) 16
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Scientific American about a device that delivers infusions of DNA and other molecules to restore injured limbs in mice, and maybe someday, humans: Cells are typically reprogrammed using mixtures of DNA, RNA and proteins. The most popular method uses viruses as a delivery vehicle -- although they can infect unintended cells, provoke immune responses and even turn cells cancerous. One alternative, called bulk electroporation, exposes cells to an electric field that pokes holes in their membranes to let in genetic material and proteins. Yet this method can stress or kill them. Tissue nanotransfection, described in a study published in August in Nature Nanotechnology, involves a chip containing an array of tiny channels that apply electric fields to individual cells. "You affect only a small area of the cell surface, compared with the conventional method, which upsets the entire cell," says study co-author James Lee, a chemical and biomolecular engineer at The Ohio State University. "Essentially we create a tiny hole and inject DNA right into the cell, so we can control the dosage."
Chandan Sen, a physiologist at Ohio State, and his colleagues developed a genetic cocktail that rapidly converts skin cells into endothelial cells -- the main component of blood vessels. They then used their technique on mice whose legs had been damaged by a severed artery that cut off blood supply. New blood vessels formed, blood flow increased, and after three weeks the legs had completely healed.
Chandan Sen, a physiologist at Ohio State, and his colleagues developed a genetic cocktail that rapidly converts skin cells into endothelial cells -- the main component of blood vessels. They then used their technique on mice whose legs had been damaged by a severed artery that cut off blood supply. New blood vessels formed, blood flow increased, and after three weeks the legs had completely healed.
Mighty Mouse (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Not exactly news, then ...
"If it's news to us, it's news to you."
Re: (Score:1)
I observed:
Not exactly news, then ...
prompting code_monkey_steve to respond:
"If it's news to us, it's news to you."
The thing is, though, I read this story on Phys.org back in (wait for it) August.
So, it's not exactly news - to me ...
New cartilage? (Score:2)
If so I'll be happy.
open access (Score:1)
Hey guys, it sure would have been nice to publish in an open access journal so that someone outside of a university might be able to read about your work.