Innovative silicon nanochip can reprogram biological tissue in living
body
Date:
December 10, 2021
Source:
Indiana University
Summary:
A silicon device that can change skin tissue into blood vessels and
nerve cells has advanced from prototype to standardized fabrication,
meaning it can now be made in a consistent, reproducible way.
FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A silicon device that can change skin tissue into blood vessels and nerve
cells has advanced from prototype to standardized fabrication, meaning it
can now be made in a consistent, reproducible way. As reported in Nature Protocols,this work, developed by researchers at the Indiana University
School of Medicine, takes the device one step closer to potential use
as a treatment for people with a variety of health concerns.
==========================================================================
The technology, called tissue nanotransfection, is a non-invasive nanochip device that can reprogram tissue function by applying a harmless electric
spark to deliver specific genes in a fraction of a second. In laboratory studies, the device successfully converted skin tissue into blood vessels
to repair a badly injured leg. The technology is currently being used
to reprogram tissue for different kinds of therapies, such as repairing
brain damage caused by stroke or preventing and reversing nerve damage
caused by diabetes.
"This report on how to exactly produce these tissue nanotransfection chips
will enable other researchers to participate in this new development in regenerative medicine," said Chandan Sen, director of the Indiana Center
for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, associate vice president for research and Distinguished Professor at the IU School of Medicine.
Sen also leads the regenerative medicine and engineering scientific
pillar of the IU Precision Health Initiative and is lead author on the
new publication.
"This small silicon chip enables nanotechnology that can change the
function of living body parts," he said. "For example, if someone's blood vessels were damaged because of a traffic accident and they need blood
supply, we can't rely on the pre-existing blood vessel anymore because
that is crushed, but we can convert the skin tissue into blood vessels
and rescue the limb at risk." In the Nature Protocols report, researchers published engineering details about how the chip is manufactured.
Sen said this manufacturing information will lead to further development
of the chip in hopes that it will someday be used clinically in many
settings around the world.
"This is about the engineering and manufacturing of the chip,"
he said. "The chip's nanofabrication process typically takes five to
six days and, with the help of this report, can be achieved by anyone
skilled in the art." Sen said he hopes to seek FDA approval for the chip within a year. Once it receives FDA approval, the device could be used
for clinical research in people, including patients in hospitals, health centers and emergency rooms, as well as in other emergency situations
by first responders or the military.
Other study authors include Yi Xuan, Subhadip Ghatak, Andrew Clark,
Zhigang Li, Savita Khanna, Dongmin Pak, Mangilal Agarwal and Sashwati Roy,
all of IU, and Peter Duda of the University of Chicago.
This research is funded by the National Institutes of Health.
========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Indiana_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.
========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Yi Xuan, Subhadip Ghatak, Andrew Clark, Zhigang Li, Savita Khanna,
Dongmin Pak, Mangilal Agarwal, Sashwati Roy, Peter Duda, Chandan
K. Sen.
Fabrication and use of silicon hollow-needle arrays to achieve
tissue nanotransfection in mouse tissue in vivo. Nature Protocols,
2021; 16 (12): 5707 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00631-0 ==========================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211210103057.htm
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