TECH FRONT THE LATEST RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT NEWS IN MANUFACTURING AND TECHNOLOGY t Nano-Shells Teach Bone how to Repair Itself S
cientists at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI) have developed a polymer sphere that delivers a molecule to bone wounds that tells cells already at the
injury site to repair the damage. Using the polymer sphere to introduce the microRNA molecule into cells elevates the job of existing cells to that
The findings are published in the Jan. 14 issue of Nature Communications. The technology can help grow bone in
people with conditions like oral implants, those undergoing bone surgery or joint repair, or people with tooth decay. “The new technology we have been working on opens doors for new therapies using DNA and RNA in regenera- tive medicine and boosts the possibility of dealing with other challenging human dis- eases,” Ma said. It’s typically very difficult for microRNA
to breach the fortress of the cell wall, Ma said. The polymer sphere developed by Ma’s lab easily enters the cell and delivers the microRNA. Bone repair is especially challenging in patients with healing problems, but Ma’s lab was able to heal bone wounds in osteoporotic mice, he said. Millions of patients worldwide suffer from bone loss and associated func- tional problems, but growing and regenerating high-quality bone for specific applications is still very difficult with current technology. The next step is to study the technology in large animals and evaluate it for use in humans.
The polymer sphere delivers the microRNA into cells already at the wound site, which turns the cells into bone repairing machines.
of injury repair by instructing the cells’ healing and bone- building mechanisms to switch on, said Peter Ma, professor of dentistry and lead researcher on the project. It’s similar to a new supervisor ordering an office cleaning
crew to start constructing an addition to the building, he said. Using existing cells to repair wounds reduces the need
to introduce foreign cells—a very difficult therapy because cells have their own personalities, which can result in the host rejecting the foreign cells, or tumors. The microRNA is time-released, which allows for therapy that lasts for up to a month or longer, said Ma, who also has appointments in the university’s College of Engineering.
The paper, “Cell-Free 3D Scaffold with
Two-Stage Delivery of miRNA-26a to Regener- ate Critical Sized Bone Defects,” was written
by Ma and colleagues Xiaojin Zhang, Yan Li, Y. Eugene Chen and Jihua Chen.
A
Laserless ‘Inkjet’ Printing of 3D Metals and Alloys
team of Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) engineers has created a new way to print 3D metallic objects using rust and metal powders. While current methods rely on vast metal powder beds and expensive lasers or electron beams, Northwestern’s new technique uses liquid inks and common furnaces, resulting
March 2016 |
AdvancedManufacturing.org 39
Image courtesy University of Michigan/Peter Ma
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