A group of scientists from Imperial College London and Houston Methodist Research Institute, have developed an innovative technique that has promoted the growth of new blood vessels in the body.
This angiogenesis depended on a specially designed bed of porous Nano-needles which are loaded with nucleic acids. When cells are placed on top of this structure, the needles entered their membranes, delivering the nucleic acids into their nuclei, which in turn promotes rapid growth.
The silicon needles usually remain within the cells where they degraded in a couple of days, leaving no traces, save for a bit of harmless orthosilicic acid.
"This is a quantum leap compared to existing technologies for the delivery of genetic material to cells and tissues," said Mr Ennio Tasciotti, co-chair, Nano-medicine Department, Houston Methodist Research Institute.
The team tested the new technology on human cells and living mice, which had the nucleic acids delivered into their back muscles. A week of treatment followed, and the muscles that were subjected to the loaded Nano-needles showed a six-fold increase in angiogenesis that continued to generate week after. Overall, there was no apparent increase in inflammation or any other visible side effects.
Mr Ciro Chiappini, first author of the study suggested that in the coming future, it may be possible for doctors to apply flexible bandages to severely burnt skin and re-program the cells, to heal that injury with functional tissue without the formation of a scar. "Alternatively, we saw surgeons first applying the Nano-needle bandages inside the affected region, promoting the healthy integration of these new organs implanted in the body. We are a long way off but our initial trials seems to be very promising."
