Category Archives: News

All the news from around the world in the various scientific fields

Cholesterol treatment used in treatment of hepatitis C?

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By Kathryn Higgins

A molecule that is known to take up cholesterol into a cell has recently been identified to allow entry of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) into liver cells. This may lead the way for new therapies to be developed.

Hepatitis C is a disease that primarily affects the liver. It is caused by HCV, which is spread by blood-to-blood contact. Once infected, HCV can persist in the liver causing scarring and ultimately leading to liver failure or cancer. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that three per cent of the world’s population (about 170 million) have hepatitis C, and although treatment is available, more effective therapies are needed. Liver transplantation is one such treatment, but infected patients find the virus attacks the new liver.

Previous studies have shown the involvement of cholesterol in HCV infection, thus it was hypothesised by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago that a cell surface molecule (a receptor) called Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 (NPC1L1), which is known to facilitate the uptake of cholesterol into the cell, may also be involved in trafficking the virus into the cell.

The research team headed by Susan Uprichard, assistant professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, conducted experiments to determine the role of NPC1L1 on viral uptake. Experiments involved blocking the receptor and reducing expression by using knock-out models. The results demonstrated that blockade or knock-out of NPC1L1 impaired liver cell infection with HCV.

To confirm these studies further, an inhibitor of NPC1L1 called ezetimibe, which is clinically used to lower cholesterol levels, was also tested. Results validate previous findings showing blockade of HCV uptake into the cells and preventing infection.

Current drugs used to treat hepatitis C are known to be toxic, and cannot be used by transplant patients, therefore ezetimibe may provide a solution as a new anti-hepatitis agent. Therapy with ezetimibe alone or in combination with current drugs may improve patient treatment by targeting the receptor NPC1L1 and preventing HCV entry into liver cells.

Reference:
Sainz et al, (2012) Identification of the Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 cholesterol absorption receptor as a new hepatitis C virus entry factor. Nature Medicine. Ahead of print.

The paper can be found at: http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/pdf/nm.2581.pdf

2011′s top Physics and Astronomy Stories

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Einstein Wronged?

One of the physics stories this year that made it’s way significantly into the
media was that from the OPERA collaboration which observed Neutrinos travelling
faster than the speed of light. When this report broke back in September it was
met with a certain amount of trepidation from both the scientists involved and
the scientific community with the possibility that if confirmed it is a result
that would put ends to the underpinning concept of general relativity that
nothing can travel faster than the speed of light! In the months up to now the
scientists involved have been running the experiment again with the same results
and offering the challenge to other scientist to try and see what is wrong with
their experiment/result.

Currently although it hasn’t been able to be disproved the likelihood of this
being correct is low, one only has to apply the apparent difference in neutrino
and light speeds to the supernova of 1987. Under the OPERA speeds we should have
detected neutrinos from supernova 1987a 4 years before the light arrived, this
however wasn’t the case and they more or less arrived at the same time. The jury
is still out on this one and it’ll be interesting to see what experiments are
devised in 2012 to test these results.

Hints of Higgs.

In December CERN held a press conference regarding the Higgs Boson with much
excitement surrounding it. The rumours and speculations as to what results were
to be announced seemed to mirror most people’s hopes of the conference, that the
Higgs had finally been found at the LHC, this however was not necessarily the
case. Scientists at CERN couldn’t specifically say they had found the Higgs
Boson with significant certainty, however two experiments (ATLAS and CMS) had
seen hints of what was believed to be a Higgs signal around 125
gigaelectronvolts.

Although from experiments it cannot be stated if the Higgs exists or if the
signal observed is true 2012 holds hopes for the scientists involved. When the
LHC gets back up and running after the Christmas break scientists will be
hunting and acquiring as much data as possible to identify with significant
certainty where the Higgs signature lies. Expect by the end of 2012 to have an
answer as to whether the Higgs Boson exists!

The end of the Shuttle Program.

July brought the end of NASA’s 30 year shuttle program with the successful
launch and return of shuttle Atlantis. Funding strains and austerity measures
introduced by NASA grounded the fleet after 135 missions which brought massive
rewards into space research and technology developments. Sadly however measures
put into action in the period after the Columbia shuttle tragedy has seen NASA
aiming to shift it’s regular space travel to that of private investors to save
the limited amount of money already received from the US government. 2012 is
expected to see the first private companies staking claims in space exploration
with private space craft making the launch into space in the coming months.

Fukushima Fallout

It was hard to miss coverage of the events that took place on the East coast of
Japan back in March where a country best prepared for a tsunami was overwhelmed
by the result or 9.0 magnitude Earthquake.Luckily most of the nuclear fallout
was carried out to sea by winds although this didn’t stop mandatory evacuation
zones around the reactors. It took 9 months from the initial reactor meltdowns
to ensure that the reactors were safely in cold fusion and accordingly shut down
although the clean up of the site will take decades still at high cost.

The fukushima meltdown had significant effects on research and energy policy in
some nations. Compared to the Chernobyl disaster (occurring 25 years previously)
researchers could assess how a release of radioactive material effected the
environment and occupants in a wealthier nation such as Japan. The research also
aided the Japanese people with the lessons learnt previously from Chernobyl
being applied to prevent conditions caused by radiation. The disaster also had
an impact on policy with (understandably) Japan, Germany, Switzerland and Italy
taking an abrupt turn away from nuclear, Germany proposing to shut down all
reactors by 2020s. The coming years will be interesting to see if other
technologies come through for energy production or if these nations resume their
faith in nuclear energy.

The growing Universe

This years Nobel prize in Physics was awarded in October to Saul Perlmutter,
Brian Schmidt and Adam Reiss for their work on using supernovae to chart the
expansion of the universe. By using distant supernovae with standard intensity
the team were able to chart from their light how far away and how fast the
points were moving away from us on Earth. From this deductions and calculations
of the universe’s expansion could be ascertained as well as inferences made for
the effects of dark energy on matter in the universe. This year’s Nobel prize in
Physics was an odd one as the lauretes were relatively young compared to many
that have come before indicating potential shifts in those taking up scientific
research.

New Earths

2011 was an extraordinary year for NASA’s Keplar mission encompassing ground and
space based telescopes in a search for extrasolar planets. Although there was no
sign of Earth’s twin exactly, over 700 planets have been identified with some
strong candidates that may contain life. The mission identifies planets by
looking at stars. Measurements map out the light intensity observed from these
stars, periodic reductions in this intensity are sometime observed and it is
this which indicates that there is a body orbiting with a defined orbit. This
can data can also be applied in such ways to calculate the size of planets and
other properties.

Notable mentions of planets discovered by the Keplar mission are ‘Keplar 22-b’
which was the first planet observed which was inside of the habitable zone, a
region around a star where life may exist. Another one was a planet orbiting two
suns which was aptly named Tatooine.

To boldly go…

In November 6 men returned to Earth from a mission to Mars, however they never
actually left the Earth. The simulated mission that took place in a Russian
warehouse came to an and proved to a point that the human body could at least
cope with the mental strain of isolation and close quarter living that would be
encountered on a manned mission to Mars. Whilst locked away in a mock space
craft the astronauts practised space walks, experiments on mars and simulated
repairs necessary to keep the craft going. This paved the way for future space
exploration and although a Mars mission won’t occur just yet it’s a tantalising
glimpse into what may be possible in regards to the human body.

Goodnight Tevatron.

As the LHC was colliding particles and obtaining data to probe into the origins
of the universe and evidence for the Higgs Boson, an older particle accelerator
came to the end of it’s functioning life. With over 25 years colliding particles
Fermilab’s Tevatron particle accelerator closed in September with most of the
scientists using it packing up to move to the bigger and more powerful LHC.
Although not as powerful, Tevatron was actively hunting for the Higg’s Boson and
helping to eliminate some of the mass energy ranges that it could reside in.
Flurries of particles were identified and greater understanding into the
standard model governing particle physics came with the experimental
observations for the predictions that it made. With the LHC going strong
hopefully the work conducted at Tevatron shalln’t be forgotten and who knows
what the last scraps of data will hold.

Biolaser.

A report in June in the journal Nature photonics reported and experiment where
biological components were turned into lasers. Fluorescent proteins from
jellyfish were inserted into the genome of mammalian cells which were suspended
between two mirrors. The effect of the living cells suspended between saw an
amplification of an inserted photon inducing a lasing process. The significance
of this was that the cell and the proteins survived which is often not observed
when fluorescent proteins undergo continuous light excitation. With the
development of this technique the biological lasers may be seen in future in
nanotechnology and other more familiar regions as CD/DVD players. In regards to
these biological systems it is very much watch this space.

James Webb Space telescope vs politics.

More delays and issues arose in regards to the Hubble telescopes successor this
year, the James Webb Telescope. The telescope which when complete will reside in
a region 1.5 million kilometres away from Earth far away from any communication
disturbances, it will also comprise of a set of mirrors exceeding the size of
Hubble allowing for far higher resolution. The telescope however has come under
fire due to spiralling costs of $8.7 billion and rising. With the rising costs
the House appropriations committee in the US have declared that given the chance
they would prefer to cancel the project rather than provide more funding to
sustain it until launch in 2018. Some members of the senate have come out in
support of the telescope and NASA have also hit back saying it could be made
cheaper with more money spent now to have it readied prior to the current
estimated completion date. 2012 will tell whether the project survives and if
the completion date changes at all.

And to commemorate the Shuttle here’s an awesome video by Nature with Sheffield’s finest 65daysofstatic providing the music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II7QBLt36xo

Transparent tissues offer a window into the brain

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By Kathryn Higgins

 

A revolutionary reagent has been developed that can literally turn biological tissues transparent. Researchers from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan have developed a reagent which allows 3D imaging of the neuronal network deep inside a mouse brain.

Imaging and labelling of cell populations deep within tissue has been a challenge for scientists for many years. Although advances have been made in cell imaging there are still many obstacles to overcome. Tissues often have to be sliced 1mm thick for viewing under a microscope to dissect networks since imaging within deep tissues leads to many problems due to the lack of transparency of the tissue. Several clearing solutions have been developed but these have disadvantages such as expense and quenching of fluorescently labelled proteins that are often used in cell research to visualise the structures.

A research team led by Atsushi Miyawaki, however, have recently developed a reagent, after a chance observation, which may revolutionise deep tissue imaging by obtaining 3D images that are valuable for improving our understanding of biological organisms and how they function.

The reagent, called ScaleA2, is a highly effective clearing reagent, greatly improving the transparency of tissues, and stabilising fluorescently labelled proteins. This allows imaging to be done at a much greater depth than currently possible, providing detailed 3D visualisation of neuronal networks within the brain than has ever been managed before.

Current research using ScaleA2 was done using dead embryo tissue for imaging neurones and blood vessels deep inside the mouse brain. Miyawaki and his research team, however, believe that the scope for using ScaleA2 in other tissues and organisms is not limited, and are currently trying to optimise the reagent for use in live tissue. This would open the door to experiments that have never before been possible.

 

Image shows two murine embryos. The left embryo was placed in PBS, whilst the embryo on the right was incubated for 2 weeks in ScaleA2 solution.

 

 

Reference:

Hama et al, (2011) Scale: a chemical approach for fluorescence imaging and reconstruction of transparent mouse brain. Nature Neuroscience. Ahead of print.

The paper can be found at:

http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/vaop/ncurrent/pdf/nn.2928.pdf

Credit card diagnoses HIV & Syphilis

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Written by Iain Stewart

An article published in Nature Medicine, 4th August 2011, has shown scientists from Columbia University, New York, have created a new tool for efficient and reliable diagnosis of both HIV and syphilis.

Samuel Sia and his team of researchers have adapted the ‘ELISA’ technique into a portable and cheap procedure that can be used in remote parts of the world, giving results in under twenty minutes. ELISA (or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) is a well-known method, routinely used in laboratories, to detect the presence of antigens using antibodies.

Antigens are molecules, which when present in the blood, trigger an immune response from the body. Every cell in our body carries its own antigens, which are recognized as ‘self’, but foreign antigens from bacteria, viruses, and cells that are not our own, stimulate new antibody production.

Sia and colleagues scaled down the recognition of antigens into a plastic tool they term ‘mChip’ (microfluidic chip). All that is required is a microlitre of blood, taken directly from a pinprick, which is then passed through extremely narrow channels in a credit card sized device. The disease antigens are present where the channels form tight loops. When blood from an individual who has the virus flows through these loops, specific antibodies from the blood bind. Next, antibodies attached to silver particles are washed through and bind to the antibodies present, with the result of solid silver loop indicating the patient is positive for the specific disease.

This new tool displays many advantages over the current diagnostic strategies. It is low cost, as the mChip and reagents cost pennies to make. It can diagnose both HIV and syphilis in the same test, taking under twenty minutes compared to previous hours, days and even weeks. Its portable design allows it to be operated at the point-of-care, making it accessible anywhere in the developing world. A microlitre of whole blood is all that is necessary from the patient, while its ease of use requires minimal training for the operator. The result can be read without hi-tech optical equipment, is not open to interpretation, and has been shown to be as reliable as current techniques.

Exposing unborn children to the sexually transmitted disease, syphilis, leads to miscarriages, stillbirths and death of newborns. Fast diagnosis of pregnant mothers, and therefore treatment of syphilis with a single dose of penicillin, can significantly increase the survival of the unborn infant by preventing disease transmission through the placenta. Sia and colleagues’ data suggest 5000 syphilis-related deaths could be avoided in Rwanda alone, whilst the World Health Organisation estimates that the disease is responsible for 500,000 perinatal deaths in sub-Saharan Africa every year. 

As well as the obvious impact this technique could have on diagnosing HIV and syphilis at the point-of-care, this test can be used for pre-screening blood donations, and could eventually be used to diagnose a range of infectious diseases in poorly equipped areas all over the world.

Chin, C. et al. Microfluidics-based diagnostics of infectious diseases in the developing world. Nature Medicine. 4th Aug 2011, doi:10.1038/nm.2408

http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nm.2408.html

http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/rtis/syphilis/en/index.html


credit card sized device.

doi:10.1038/nm.2408

channel loops, scale bar 1mm.

doi:10.1038/nm.2408  

A woman bathes an infant in rural Manara, Tanzania. Taken from www.who.int.

A Sweet Way to Heal Wounds

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By Kathryn Higgins

 

We’ve all heard the term rubbing salt into the wounds, but using sugar instead may be a new treatment for wound healing and reducing pain.

Moses Murandu, a Senior Lecturer in Adult Nursing at the School of Health and Well Being at the University of Wolverhampton, Birmingham, has just been awarded a £25,000 grant to continue a study in the effect of sugar on wounds and cuts.

Originally raised in Zimbabwe, Moses grew up following traditional African remedies, one of which involved treating wounds with cane sugar. Trained as a senior nurse, Moses was surprised to find that this was not common practise when he came to the UK stating “when I was a child, my father used sugar or salt and I grew up without realising that something that works is not widely used”.

Leading a study at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham, involving 21 patients whose wounds had not responded to conventional treatment, Moses poured granulated sugar onto bed sores, leg ulcers or amputations before the wound was dressed. However, he did point out that the sugar used was not taken straight off the supermarket shelves, but was certified, sterile sugar direct from the manufacturer.

The study found that a solution of 25% sugar was effective in not only reducing pain associated with wounds, but also improved healing. The sugar solution works by drawing water out of the wound into the dressing. Bacteria need water to survive so when sugar is added bacteria are killed leading to healing of the wound and reducing pain.

An abstract of this work was submitted by Mr Murandu to the Fondation Le Lous, and was awarded the Fondation Le Lous Research Innovation Award and £25,000 to continue his research for a further two years.

This innovative practise would save the NHS millions of pounds a year, with treatment costing about £1.49 each time compared to hundreds of pounds to hire equipment to drain wounds.

 

For further details of the study see:

http://www.wlv.ac.uk/default.aspx?page=24330

http://wlv.ac.uk/default.aspx?page=21067

 

Blood Groups Could Become a Thing of the Past

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Written by Matt Farley

 

New research from McGill University in Canada could do away with the need to classify blood by ‘type’, following a new technique to prevent mismatched blood from being rejected after a transfusion.

Along with the well-known A, B and O blood groups, there are a further 26 different blood types which have to be matched carefully when carrying out a blood transfusion – a mismatch can lead to the donated blood being rejected by the body which can be fatal. The ideal situation is for a ‘universal’ blood type which would be compatible with any recipient blood type.

Rejection occurs when the antigens on the surface of the donor red blood cells are of a different type to those on the recipient’s cells – previous attempts at avoiding this have focused on either removing the surface antigens from the donated blood using enzymes, or producing the blood outside the body from stem cells. These techniques have shown some success, but are hindered by their expense and complexity. The latest method, presented by Dr. Maryam Tabrizian and colleagues, instead aims to cover up the antigens and hide them from the host immune system – known as ‘immunocamouflage’.

Red blood cells from a selection of volunteers were coated in a layer of polyelectrolytes – small repeating units which self-assemble on the cell surface. Previous attempts at coating cells in this way using yeast and E.coli had shown promise, but it remained to be seen whether the delicate red blood cells would be able to withstand the process.

After coating, the cells were exposed to their opposite antibody and observed for any agglutination, or clumping of cells, that occurred. The coated cells were shown to remain free after addition of the antibody, suggesting that the antibodies had failed to recognise and bind the cell surface antigens. This was in contrast to the uncoated cells, which clumped together in the manner normally seen when mismatched blood samples are mixed.

Perhaps most importantly, the red blood cells showed no significant reduction in their ability to take up oxygen, implying that they would still be able to carry out their function within the body. The cells were also seen to produce ATP, an energy carrier – a good sign that metabolism was also functioning as normal.

It remains to be seen whether the technique will be as effective when tested in a living organism, but the results obtained so far appear promising. If effective, future blood transfusions could become a lot easier, and a lot less dangerous.

The paper accompanying this article is available online:

http://pubs.acs.org/stoken/presspac/presspac/full/10.1021/bm101200c

Red blood cells

Losing DNA made us human

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Written by Olivia O’Sullivan

 

A study has shown that it may be DNA we have lost which sets humans apart from our nearest primate relatives. 

The majority of mutations in DNA are harmful, and a loss of genetic information might be assumed to be catastrophic. In a paper published last week in Nature, a team of researchers from Stanford University in California have challenged this by identifying the loss of particular regions of non-coding DNA to be a key factor in shaping our unique minds and bodies, thus setting us apart from chimpanzees and the rest of the animal kingdom.

By conducting a genetic comparison of the human genome with that of a chimp and a macaque the team found 510 DNA sequences missing in humans that were present in chimps, almost all of these sequences were from the non-coding region of DNA, i.e. chunks of DNA responsible for turning genes on or off . Two regions of particular interest were the androgen receptor (AR) gene and ‘GADD45G’ – a tumour suppressor gene involved in brain development.

The AR gene is implicated in the production of hard, keratinized penile spines which are found in many mammals and play different roles in different species. It is thought that penile spines may have been used as a way of competing with other males for mating partners by removing the sperm of competitors. It is believed that the molecular changes resulting in a loss of human penile spines has allowed us as a species to form more complex social structures by adopting monogamous reproductive relationships.

Another ‘lost section of DNA’ in humans was found to code for a tumour suppressor gene that normally acts to suppress brain growth, putting an evolutionary brake on the growth of specific brain structures zones in our primate relatives. This ultimately paved the way for the evolution of a larger human brain, giving us an intellectual edge over our fellow animals.

The results of this study certainly underlines the fact that genetic information is both gained and lost during evolution and that despite sharing approximately 96% of our DNA with chimpanzees, it is thought that this genetic divergence may have occurred more than 800,000 years ago when our ancestors split from the Neanderthal lineage. This is an exciting finding, opening up new areas for discovery through the analysis of the remaining 508 DNA sequences which promise to reveal further secrets about the molecular basis of human individuality.

 

References:

McLean, C. Y. et al. Nature 471, 216-219 (2011)

What? A molecule that enables hearing

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By Kathryn Vaughan

Researchers at the University of Sheffield have identified a molecule that underlies mechanisms of hearing loss and deafness.

In the inner ear ‘cochlear hair cells’ are responsible for receiving sound as sensory information before it can be converted into electrical nerve signals to be sent to the brain, and these hair cells mature during embryonic development. To examine the mechanisms that regulate cochlear hair cell maturation, researchers led by Walter Marcotti from the University of Sheffield have investigated the role of a molecule named miR-96. The molecule miR-96 is a microRNA, a short genetic sequence that regulates the expression of a range of genes, and is itself highly expressed in developing cochlear hair cells.

Mice that do not express miR-96, referred to as ‘knockouts’, were compared with control mice that do express miR-96. To examine differences in structure, hair cells from the two groups of mice were observed under a microscope and measurements were taken of both cell length and sensitivity to a neurotransmitter. By placing a speaker 20cm directly in front of each mouse and recording a ‘Preyer reflex’, whereby a mouse flicks its ear in the direction of sound, the researchers also measured auditory brainstem responses, which reflect the activity of the hair cell.

The researchers found that the cochlear hair cells of the mice that do not express miR-96 were thinner, shorter in length and more immature when compared to hair cells of control mice, identifying a role for miR-96 in the maturation of cochlear hair cells. To investigate the activity of the hair cells by measuring the auditory brainstem responses, the knockout mice could not be used since they have no auditory response at all. Instead, mice with limited miR-96 expression were compared with control mice and were found to be less responsive, indicating a defect in their hearing due to the limited miR-96 expression.

Measurements were also recorded to examine the sensitivity of hair cells to a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a molecule released from nerve endings and can act upon cochlear hair cells to initiate the conversion of an auditory response into an electrical nerve signal. Sensitivity to acetylcholine was reduced in knockout mice whilst control mice responded as usual, implicating miR-96 in hair cell activity.

These results indicate that in the maturation of cochlear hair cells, which is vital for the fundamentals of hearing, miR-96 plays an essential role. By understanding these mechanisms the researchers propose that the research “could provide us with clues to help develop therapies to ameliorate the effects associated with nonsyndromic progressive hearing loss”.

Cochlear hair cells in a Guinea Pig

 References:

Kuhn et al (2011) miR-96 regulates the progression of differentiation in mammalian cochlear inner and outer hair cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 108 (6), 2355-2360.

The paper can be found at:

http://www.pnas.org/content/108/6/2355.full.pdf+html

Vitamin D to treat respiratory diseases?

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Kathryn Vaughan

Research from a team in Australia has made a new link between Vitamin D and lung disease.

A deficiency in vitamin D is associated with many diseases, including rickets, but it has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), whereby it has been suggested that vitamin D deficiency reduces lung function.

Vitamin D is mainly involved in calcium homeostasis (the concentration of calcium in the bloodstream). This is why deficiencies in vitamin D are commonly associated with bone disorders.

It has been suggested that a vitamin D deficiency can reduce lung function, thus associating the vitamin deficiency with respiratory diseases. Dr Graeme Zosky, a senior lecturer in Child Health Research, headed a research group from Western Australia, to determine what effect, if any, a deficiency of vitamin D has on the lung.

A vitamin D deficient mouse model, developed by modification of their diet, was used and compared with mice that were not deficient in vitamin D, i.e. wild-type control mice. Measurements in lung volume, lung structure and lung function were assessed to determine if there were any differences relating to vitamin D deficiency.

Differences were found in both the lung size and lung volume of the mice. Vitamin D deficient mice had substantially reduced lung size compared to controls, suggesting altered lung growth, and this correlated with reductions in the thoracic gas volume measurement. In relation to the reduction in lung volume the mechanics of the lung were also affected in vitamin D deficient mice.

The researchers conclude from this investigation that “vitamin D deficiency causes deficits in lung function which are primarily explained by differences in lung volume” and “may explain the association between obstructive lung disease and vitamin D status”.  The results therefore may have important implications for the prevention/treatment of respiratory diseases in those with vitamin D deficiencies.

 

Zosky et al (2011) Vitamin D deficiency causes deficits in lung function and alters lung structure. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, ahead of print.

The paper can be found at:

http://ajrccm.atsjournals.org/cgi/reprint/201010-1596OCv1?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=zosky&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT

Spaghetti provides inspiration for a new treatment for spinal cord injury

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Matt Farley

Researchers at the University of Milan-Biccoca in Italy have developed a new method to repair damaged spinal cords, after being inspired by spaghetti. Named the ‘bucatini project’ after the hollow pasta of the same name, the results suggest that the technique may be used in the future to treat people with paraplegia.

One of the major hindrances in the healing of damaged spinal cords is the formation of fluid-filled cysts, which impair the development of new nerve and blood cells at the site of the injury. Fabrizio Gelain is just one of many researchers around the world investigating ways to ‘bridge’ over these cysts.

Gelain’s team developed small hollow tubes made from biodegradable plastics which were around 3 millimetres long and could be implanted into areas of damage. The tubes were coated in small peptides, which anchored new cells around the tubes – effectively making them more ‘sticky’ and able to grab onto any new cells. “These tubes provide the reference points for the cells, and tissue starts to build up” says Gelain’s colleague, Angelo Vescovi.

Bundles of these tubes were implanted directly into the cysts of rats which had damaged spinal cords, paralysing their hind legs. A gel containing natural growth factors to stimulate nerve cell growth was also added.

After six months, new nerve cells and blood vessels were seen to have grown all the way across the treated areas, along with other types of ‘supporting cells’ which are vital for maintenance of the nerve fibres. The rats also regained some mobility in their hind legs, which was not seen in the untreated control rats.

What is unsure is whether the new nerve cells are successfully growing into the spinal column at the other end of the cyst, which is required for significant regeneration of the spinal column. Gelain intends to carry out further experiments to determine whether the new cells are making all the necessary connections.

The paper that accompanied this research is available online:

Gelain, F et al. 2011. Transplantation of Nanostructured Composite Scaffolds Results in the Regeneration of Chronically Injured Spinal Cords. ACS Nano 5, pp227-236