A simple injection that can help regrow damaged tissue has long been the dream of physicians and patients alike. A new study from researchers at UBC Okanagan takes a big step towards making that dream a reality with a device that makes encapsulating cells much faster, cheaper and more effective.
“The idea of injecting different kinds of tissue cells is not a new one,” says Keekyoung Kim, assistant professor of engineering at UBC Okanagan and study co-author. “It’s an enticing concept because by introducing cells into damaged tissue, we can supercharge the body’s own processes to regrow and repair an injury.”
Kim says everything from broken bones to torn ligaments could benefit from this kind of approach and suggests even whole organs could be repaired as the technology improves.
The problem, he says, is that cells on their own are delicate and tend not to survive when injected directly into the body.
“It turns out that to ensure cell survival, they need to be encased in a coating that protects them from physical damage and from the body’s own immune system,” says Mohamed Gamal, doctoral student in biomedical engineering and study lead author. “But it has been extremely difficult to do that kind of cell encapsulation, which has until now been done in a very costly, time consuming and wasteful process.”
Kim and Gamal have solved that problem by developing an automated encapsulation device that encases many cells in a microgel using a specialized blue laser and purifies them to produce a clean useable sample in just a few minutes. The advantage of their system is that over 85 per cent of the cells survive and the process can be easily scaled up.
“Research in this area has been hampered by the cost and lack of availability of mass-produced cell encapsulated microgels,” says Kim. “We’ve solved that problem and our system could provide thousands or even tens of thousands of cell-encapsulated microgels rapidly, supercharging this field of bioengineering.”
In addition to developing a system that’s quick and efficient, Gamal says the equipment is made up of readily available and inexpensive components.
“Any lab doing this kind of work could set up a similar system anywhere from a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars, which is pretty affordable for lab equipment,” says Gamal.
The team is already looking at the next step, which will be to embed different kinds of stem cells—cells that haven’t yet differentiated into specific tissue types—into the microgels alongside specialized proteins or hormones called growth factors. The idea would be to help the stem cells transform into the appropriate tissue type once they’re injected.
“I’m really excited to see where this technology goes next and what our encapsulated stem cells are capable of.”
Learn more: UBC Okanagan engineers make injectable tissues a reality
The Latest on: Injectable tissues
[google_news title=”” keyword=”injectable tissues” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Injectable tissues
- Advances in mammography among Breast Cancer Update topicson April 24, 2024 at 11:30 am
Advances in breast scanning, include the use of artificial intelligence, are on the agenda for the annual Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition update, ...
- What To Know About Brooks Lee's Back Injury and Disc Herniations in Baseballon April 23, 2024 at 2:05 pm
According to Aaron Gleeman, the Minnesota Twins' top prospect is expected to miss at least another month after recently being diagnosed with a disc herniation in his balky back.
- Technion scientists harness ultrasound for drug delivery and tissue implantationon April 23, 2024 at 3:59 am
Ultrasound: In the researchers' innovative method, cells or drugs are delivered within a biological fluid ink directly to the treated area deep within the body through direct injection or ...
- Restoring sight is possible now with optogeneticson April 23, 2024 at 3:31 am
Several companies are experimenting with optogenetics to create a “bionic eye” that can restore sight in visually impaired people.
- Scientists harness ultrasound for drug delivery and tissue implantationon April 22, 2024 at 2:03 pm
Research presents an advance in drug delivery and tissue implantation assisted by ultrasound, developed by researchers from the Technion Faculty of Biomedical Engineering. The work is published in the ...
- Technion breakthrough for better drug delivery and tissue implantationon April 22, 2024 at 5:40 am
Researchers develop ultrasound for non-invasive method for bio-printing live cells and tissues deep within the body.
- With $75m cash injection, SynOx plans ph3 rare tumour trialon April 22, 2024 at 3:35 am
Ireland’s SynOx Therapeutics has completed a second-round financing, raising $75 million, as it prepares to take its drug for tenosynovial giant cell tumour (TGCT) into phase 3 trials.
- FDA approves Lumicell’s fluorescent system for highlighting residual breast cancer tissueon April 19, 2024 at 8:08 am
The FDA has granted a groundbreaking approval to a fluorescent light system that illuminates leftover breast cancer tissue in real-time during surgery—to help ensure a thorough removal of the tumor | ...
- Drug Prototype Shows Promise for Stem Cell Treatment of Pulmonary Diseaseon April 19, 2024 at 4:45 am
In many pulmonary diseases, insufficient stem cells allow damage to progress, but researchers have developed a lung-targeted, drug-like small molecule to stimulate the growth of lung stem cells, ...
- Injectable Contraceptives May Increase the Risk of Developing Brain Tumorson April 18, 2024 at 11:30 am
New research reveals that a popular family of drugs used for contraception and menopausal treatment could be linked to certain brain tumors.
via Bing News