
Brain slices of mice that received nano-photosynthetic therapy (right) have fewer damaged neurons, shown in green, than control mice (left).
CREDIT: Adapted from Nano Letters 2021, DOI: 10.10.21/acs.nanolett.1c00719
Blocked blood vessels in the brains of stroke patients prevent oxygen-rich blood from getting to cells, causing severe damage. Plants and some microbes produce oxygen through photosynthesis. What if there was a way to make photosynthesis happen in the brains of patients?
Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Nano Letters have done just that in cells and in mice, using blue-green algae and special nanoparticles, in a proof-of-concept demonstration.
Strokes result in the deaths of 5 million people worldwide every year, according to the World Health Organization. Millions more survive, but they often experience disabilities, such as difficulties with speech, swallowing or memory. The most common cause is a blood vessel blockage in the brain, and the best way to prevent permanent brain damage from this type of stroke is to dissolve or surgically remove the blockage as soon as possible. However, those options only work within a narrow time window after the stroke happens and can be risky. Blue-green algae, such as Synechococcus elongatus, have been studied previously to treat the lack of oxygen in heart tissue and tumors using photosynthesis. But the visible light needed to trigger the microbes can’t penetrate the skull, and although near-infrared light can pass through, it is insufficient to directly power photosynthesis. “Up-conversion” nanoparticles, often used for imaging, can absorb near-infrared photons and emit visible light. So, Lin Wang, Zheng Wang, Guobin Wang and colleagues at Huazhong University of Science and Technology wanted to see if they could develop a new approach that could someday be used for stroke patients by combining these parts — S. elongatus, nanoparticles and near-infrared light — in a new “nano-photosynthetic” system.
The researchers paired S. elongatus with neodymium up-conversion nanoparticles that transform tissue-penetrating near-infrared light to a visible wavelength that the microbes can use to photosynthesize. In a cell study, they found that the nano-photosynthesis approach reduced the number of neurons that died after oxygen and glucose deprivation. They then injected the microbes and nanoparticles into mice with blocked cerebral arteries and exposed the mice to near-infrared light. The therapy reduced the number of dying neurons, improved the animals’ motor function and even helped new blood vessels to start growing. Although this treatment is still in the animal testing stage, it has promise to advance someday toward human clinical trials, the researchers say.
Original Article: An illuminating possibility for stroke treatment: Nano-photosynthesis
More from: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Nano-photosynthetic system
- Novel nano-optical technology tracks communications in living cells
Microbes may be among the smallest living things on Earth, but bioimaging to understand the chemistry that fuels these organisms could reveal important clues about the intricacies of gene function and ...
- Nano Dimension Announces Fraunhofer Institute Purchase of DragonFly® IV System
With a system such as Nano Dimension’s we can overcome design limitations and optimize development processes in terms of time and costs.” ...
- Using high-precision quantum chemistry to study super-efficient energy transfer in photosynthesis
Photosynthesis drives all life on Earth. Complex processes are required for the sunlight-powered conversion of carbon dioxide and water to energy-rich sugar and oxygen. These processes are driven by ...
- Best Nano Cap Stocks Right Now
Investors who are looking for higher risk and more potential profit often turn to nano-cap stock options. A nano cap stock is a stock with a total market capitalization below $50 million.
- Nano-probing System Market 2023 Size Industry, Current Trends, Demand and Size Share Estimation by 2030 with Top Players
Mar 15, 2023 (The Expresswire) -- Nano-probing System Market Size 2023-2030 | New Report (118 Pages) | In This Reports Nano-probing System Market and its business scene, significant issues ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Nano-photosynthetic system
[google_news title=”” keyword=”nano-photosynthetic system” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Nano-photosynthesis
- Green Hacking: Overclocking Photosynthesis
A case in point: scientists have found a way to make photosynthesis better and this should lead to more productive crops. We learned in school that plants use carbon dioxide and sunlight to create ...
- Scientists Hack Early Stage Of Photosynthesis In Breakthrough For Biofuel
Scientists have discovered a new process in photosynthesis that can extract electrons earlier than previously known, offering new possibilities in self-generating, self-repairing catalysts for ...
- Ingenious Photosynthesis “Hack” Paves Way for Renewable Energy Breakthroughs
Researchers have ‘hacked’ the earliest stages of photosynthesis, the natural machine that powers the vast majority of life on Earth, and discovered new ways to extract energy from the process, a ...
- Tiny, fast lasers are unlocking the mysteries of photosynthesis
Their findings were published this week in the journal Nature. An animation of the photosynthesis process. Mairi Eyres The technique they used allowed the researchers to carefully watch what the ...
- Photosynthesis Further Explained Using Quantum Chemical Calculations
Photosynthesis is the process that plants, algae, and even certain species of bacteria use to convert sunlight into oxygen and chemical energy stored as sugar (aka gluclose). But what are the ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Nano-photosynthesis
[google_news title=”” keyword=”nano-photosynthesis” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]