Nanotechnology Propels Advances in Regenerative Medicine Research

The American Chemical Society's 232nd annual meeting was held recently, including a three day symposium entitled "Advances in Nano-Medicine" where scientists from around the world discuss  Recent developments in nanotechnology. Recent advancements in nanotechnology have led to massive leaps in the field of regenerative medicine and potential human enhancement.

Carbon nanotubes have been shown to enhance the ability to enhance adult stem cells' ability to develop into healthy neurons in stroke-damaged rat brains. Researchers at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea mixed nanotubes with adult rat stem cells and then implanted the mixture into brain-damaged areas of three rats that had suffered strokes, while as a control, they injected three rats with only nanotubes, and three rats with only stem cells. After following the animals for up to eight weeks, the researchers found that neither nanotubes nor adult stem cells alone triggered regeneration or repair in the brain-damaged regions. In fact, when used alone, adult stem cells migrated to healthy areas of the brain. But when combined with nanotubes, adult stem cells not only remained in the brain-damaged regions, they grew into functioning neurons. The finding could have important implications for the treatment of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders in humans.

Researchers at Northwestern University developed nanostructures that helped restore cardiovascular function in people with heart disease, nanoparticles that sped up wound healing by nearly 10000%, nanotechnology that cured diabetes in mice, and nanoparticles that repaired bone injuries that in other victims, did not heal. Researchers predict that nanotechnology will be able to enhance muscle, cardiovascular, and mental functions in humans.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2006/09/11/nanotechnology_propels_advances_in_regenerative_medicine_research.html

Nature of Science Themes

• Science is Collaborative- Engineers around the world are studying ways to implement these technologies in humans.
• Role of Motivation- These technologies could potentially be used to cure Alzheimer's, Diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Osteoporosis, and many forms of cancer.