March 28, 2024

Nanotechnology Advances Regenerative Medicine: Bone Formation Comes Down to the Nanowire

Bone-forming stem cells grown on a mesh of these small wires get a kind of physical workout on the moving substrate. “We can accomplish efficient bone cell development in a much shorter amount of time,” possibly paving the method for more effective regrowth of bone. They patterned the small wires in an equally spaced grid and then layered bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on top. Or they might utilize other types of stem cells to, for example, promote neuronal development and brain repair work after a stroke.

” This is an exceptional finding,” says Jasmeen Merzaban, associate Professor of bioscience. “We can attain efficient bone cell development in a shorter amount of time,” possibly leading the way for more effective regeneration of bone. Merzaban co-led the study together with sensing unit scientist Jürgen Kosel and coworkers from their labs.
The researchers analyzed the bone-producing capability of their nanowire scaffold, both with and without magnetic signals. They patterned the small wires in an equally spaced grid and then layered bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on top. Each of the small wires is about the size of the tail-like appendage discovered on some bacteria.
The researchers discovered that adding a low-frequency magnetic field considerably sped up the procedure of bone advancement. Within two days of incubation under mechanical stimulation, hereditary markers of bone development might be found, while genes connected to stemness and self-renewal quickly ended up being non-active. The researchers might likewise witness the cells reconstructing themselves to end up being more bone-like at a fast rate under a microscope.
Next, the KAUST team plans to evaluate its system in mouse designs of degenerative bone illness, with the expectation that stem cell– seeded nanowire scaffolds can be safely implanted at sites of injury and promote tissue repair. An externally applied magnetic field would be used to speed the healing process.
Study author Jose Efrain Perez, a previous Ph.D. student in Kosels lab, also sees prospective applications in other disease settings. As he explains: “Varying the matrix tightness by increasing or decreasing nanowire length and size might promote differential actions with MSCs.” Or they might utilize other kinds of stem cells to, for instance, promote neuronal growth and brain repair after a stroke.
Whats more, Perez includes, “We could further tailor the nanowire scaffold itself or the base material– for circumstances, by utilizing different metals to exploit their magnetic reactions or finishing the nanowires with biomolecules for potential shipment upon cellular contact.”
For such a small innovation, the possibilities are huge.
Referral: “Modulated nanowire scaffold for highly efficient differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells” by Jose E. Perez, Bashaer Bajaber, Nouf Alsharif, Aldo I. Martínez-Banderas, Niketan Patel, Ainur Sharip, Enzo Di Fabrizio, Jasmeen Merzaban and Jürgen Kosel, 16 June 2022, Journal of Nanobiotechnology.DOI: 10.1186/ s12951-022-01488-5.

A cell cultured on top of the nanowire scaffold. Credit: © 2022 KAUST; Heno Hwang
New nanotechnology that accelerates the shift of stem cells into bone might change regenerative medicine.
A nanotechnology platform developed by King Abdullah University of Science & & Technology (KAUST) scientists might result in brand-new treatments for degenerative bone diseases.
The strategy counts on iron nanowires that bend in reaction to electromagnetic fields. Bone-forming stem cells grown on a mesh of these tiny wires get a sort of physical workout on the moving substrate. They subsequently turn into adult bone considerably quicker than in standard culturing settings, with a differentiation procedure that lasts just a couple of days instead of a few weeks.