Medicine does not stand still, and scientists are inventing new means to cure a person. But the one we are about to talk about now looks like it came from some kind of science fiction novel.
Researchers at Ohio University, Wexner Medical Center and Ohio College of Engineering have developed a new technology called tissue nanotransfection (or TNT) that can generate any type of cells needed for treatment within the patient's body. It can be used to regenerate damaged tissue, to restore the functioning of aged tissue, including internal organs, blood cells and nerve cells.
The research results are published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
“With our new nanochip technology, damaged or diseased organs can be replaced. We have proven that the skin is a fertile land in which we can grow the elements for any diseased organ,”says Dr. Shandan Sen, one of the main authors of the study.
Scientists studied mice and pigs during their experiments and were able to reprogram skin cells to become blood vessel cells in damaged paws that lacked blood flow. A week later, active blood cells appeared in the injured paw, and in the second week it was rescued. In laboratory tests, the technology also reprogrammed skin cells in a living body into nerve cells, which were then injected into a brain-damaged mouse so that it could recover from a stroke.
“It's hard to imagine, but it is achievable and works successfully in 98%. With this technology, we can transform skin cells into elements of any organ with just one touch. The process takes less than a second, it is a non-invasive procedure, and then you can go. The chip does not remain in you, and the reprogramming of the cell begins. Our technology also doesn't need immune suppression,”says Sen.
TNT technology consists of two main components: first, it is a nanotechnological chip engineered to deliver cargo to the adult cells of a living body. Second, it is the design of a specific biological load for cell circulation. When delivered by a chip, it changes an adult cell from one type to another.
TNT does not need special laboratories and premises, it can be used at any point of medical care. The procedure is non-invasive. The load is delivered by a tiny electrical discharge that the patient can barely feel.
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Human clinical trials will begin next year.
Nikolay Kudryavtsev