Scientific Discoveries September - October by Scientific Discoveries NIIRS

ISSUE 9

SYNTHETIC BLOOD THE FUTURE OF NANOMEDICINE AND NANOTECH STEM CELL THERAPY AND NANO FOR LIVER DISORDERS

Investigative and Research Services , NIIRS

21st Century

In this number of Scientific Discoveries you will find Synthetic Blood The Future of Nanomedicine Stem Cell Therapies and Nanotech for Liver Disorders Click on each box and you will be directed to each of the reports we have researched and published on this issue Synthetic Blood in the UK and USA professionals of diverse fields are close to manufacturing synthetic human blood using stem cell therapy and nanotechnology

The Future of Nanomedicine

Researchers in several countries are using nanorobots to restore several disorders and to create synthetic biomolecules. Though some of this treatments have not yet reached the clinical trials phase. Stem Cell Therapies for Liver Disorders In the future stem cell therapies and nanotechnology will reduce or eliminate the old organ donation system.

By Dinah JL Novak and John Johnson

Investigative and Research Services , NIIRS

21st Century

Synthetic Blood

Synthetic Blood using Stem Cell Therapy and Nanotech Researchers in the UK and USA are close to manufacturing synthetic human blood using stem cell therapy and nanotechnology Synthetic blood Archives Scientific Discoveries,

Blood, an essential substance for human life, provides organs with oxygen as its main function. Other important tasks include supplying nutrients, removing waste products, regulating body temperature, the coagulation process and the transportation of hormones and other elements throughout the circulatory system.

Being such a precious and in-demand biological tool , scientists within several fields are in search of a substitute that will allow blood transfusions to be managed in less conventional ways.

Advantages of Synthetic Blood Synthetic blood offers a series of advantages such as being universally compatible; crossmatching is therefore not required. Synthetic blood can also be stored for a longer time and can be easily used in hospitable environments, as it does not require refrigeration. This makes it suitable for pre-hospital scenarios. Moreover, some blood substitutes can deliver oxygen to the organs much faster than real blood and they can prevent the delivery of blood-transmitted diseases such as Hepatitis or Mad Cow disease.

By Dinah JL Novak and John Johnson

Investigative and Research Services , NIIRS

21st Century

Two of the main systems being investigated to generate synthetic-made blood are based on stem cell therapy and nanotechnology. One of the institutions in Cambridge UK granted £2.7 million to the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service in 2009 to develop synthetic blood in this manner. And on a later stage, the NHS has also bequeathed almost £3 million. Edinburgh, Dundee, Bristol and Glasgow Universities and Herriot-Watt University are also involved in the project.

Blood Derived from Stem Cell Therapy Through the manipulation of stem cells (cells that can differentiate into any type of cell) from the bone marrow and those of human embryos obtained from IVF, researchers have already been able to develop a limited amount of red blood cells. Their main target is to synthesize a sufficient volume of O type blood (type O is known as the universal donor group), and make use of it for patients of any blood type without fear of tissue rejection. New solutions will have to be designed in conjunction with this innovative biological venture as the bio-production of such large amounts of cells has never been accomplished before. Nevertheless, clinical trials with humans are thought to be within reach. If successful, this project will help to satisfy the demand for blood by clinics, estimated in UK alone to be £2.2 million of units of blood each year, with an approximate value of £308 million per year. It is thought that first trials will start in 2017 .

Sources We have researched the project being carried out by Glasgow University as well as the article “Researchers inch closer to unlocking potential of synthetic blood” published in Nano magazine and we have add as well our scientific research about syntheticgenerated blood.

By Dinah JL Novak and John Johnson

Investigative and Research Services , NIIRS

21st Century

The Future of Nanomedicine

The Future of Nanomedicine and Nanotech Researchers in several countries are using nanorobots to restore several disorders and to create synthetic biomolecules. Though some of this treatments have not yet reached the clinical trials phase. Nanorobots will be used to restore many disorders in the near future Archives Scientific Discoveries

At this stage, there are hundreds of experiments being carried out with nanotechnology, stem cells and other approaches. In years to come this research together with regenerative medicine and other domains will change the cure of disorders as well as the spectrum of medicine and other fields forever.

The next step will be the use of these therapies to create partial tissues or organs that will replace damaged ones from patients who suffer injuries or disorders. However, researchers worldwide are already working around the clock to build tissues and organs by several methods as well as using individual cells (instead of ink) in 3d printers. The donor system will become obsolete. Millions of individuals will be able to improve their health without having to wait for someone else to die. Though for many readers this article may sound a fantasy, the aim of 21st century specialists is to have a bank of tissues and organs harvested from the healthy cells of patients to replace the faulty ones. Other alternatives are also being investigated as the regeneration of organs within the own patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body through drug target delivery and by using nanorobots and other nanoparticles that will repair and rejuvenate those specific organs by travelling to the affected area and restoring them.

By Dinah JL Novak and John Johnson

Investigative and Research Services , NIIRS

21st Century

Recent Discoveries, Using Nanoparticles as Drug Delivery Vehicles Synthesizing Artificial Proteins Proteins are very important molecules in our bodies as they carry out a wide variety of functions. Some of them are enzymes and work as catalysts which allow for biochemical processes to occur, others for example are in charge of functions such as the contraction of our muscles or the creation of other proteins. Scientists at the University of Vienna and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences have synthesized biomolecules that mimic some of the features performed by proteins. To manufacture these artificial structures several simulations have taken place in the supercomputers known as Vienna Scientific Cluster. Nanomachines which are capable of folding into a target molecule have been produced using reverse engineering. Further research aims to develop synthetic biomolecules that can act as drug delivery vehicles to specific body target molecules. This advance is very important as it will allow the carriage of drugs to a patient's affected area with higher precision than at a cellular level. What it means is that side effects will be minimized because the medication will not affect other parts of the body and recovery will be quicker.

Nanomedicine and Bone Repair For those suffering osteoporosis, researchers at Penn State University and Boston University have found a method to deliver sodium alendronate (an osteoporosis drug) to the microfissures that lead to broken bones in patients. They built a nanomotor. This is a self powered nanoparticle, made partially of a synthetic material (polylactic-co-glycolic acid) and a biological material, a drug used to treat osteoporosis. They also added a fluorescent substance in order to identify the movements of the nanoparticle. It is important to note that the size of this biomolecule was still 40 times smaller than a blood cell. This process was tested in a final experiment on live human bones and it gave optimal results. The researchers confirmed that though this system needs further development, once testing is completed, it will be much more effective than the actual process of taking a drug and hoping that most of it will reach the damaged area during a certain period of time. and convert QDs into essential tools for biomedicine and other fields. Their cytotoxicity (how toxic they are to cytosol i.e. the liquid part of the cell) and their membrane penetration depend on the ligand (compound) they are attached to. The process of how nanoparticles are absorbed by the cells is controlled by size, shape, angle of curvature, effective surface charge and surface functionalization. An example to take into account is to compare gold nanoparticles with QD conjugates as each has different properties that influence their cell uptake. Copyright D. JL Novak and J. Johnson. All rights reserved.

By Dinah JL Novak and John Johnson

Investigative and Research Services , NIIRS

21st Century

Nanocarriers to Combat Leukaemia Dr Edward Chow, Principal Investigator at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore and Assistant Professor at the Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at NUS, in collaboration with Professor Dean Ho of the UCLA School of Dentistry have developed a way to deliver drugs to leukemic cells in the body and have maintained them in the affected area to defeat cancer. They have manufactured a nanoparticle made of nanodiamonds (very small carbon structures 2 to 8 nanometres in diameter) and Daunorubicin, a very well known drug used to fight leukaemia. Such a compound reduces the growth of cancerous cells and kills them. Nevertheless, the leukemic cells often become resistant to this treatment (chemo resistance) impeding the total recovery of the patient.

Nanorobots and Nanocarriers

Nanorobots/Nanocarriers delivering biomolecules to blood cells (erythrocites) to repair and restore health. 3D Visuals

Nanodiamonds This chemical complex allows nanodiamonds to deliver the drug to the cancer cells without being rejected by the leukemic cells. Once the therapeutic is released, nanodiamonds are discharged without interfering in the blood vessels due to their minimal size and surface features. However, scientists and other professionals stated that more work is required before clinical trials start. The most appropriate process of drug delivery is essential as it permits a dramatic shortening of the recovery period from any illness or injury because drugs are transported to the specific areas required. The side effects that can occur in other body parts are also reduced to a minimum as biomolecules are only delivered to the damaged area. In fact, the treatments of the near future should bring personalised therapies to all patients, and will be based on a thourough customization for each individual. Though unfortunately for some time it might not reach all those who need it due to the actual social structures society is based on. Nanotechnology will be one of the main fields that will allow for this customization to become a reality. Copyright D. JL Novak and J. Johnson. All rights reserved.

By Dinah JL Novak and John Johnson

Investigative and Research Services , NIIRS

21st Century

Sources We have written this feature with our own research and investigating the research carried out by professionals at the University of Vienna and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Austria. In addition, we have also researched the work produced by Dr Edward Chow, Principal Investigator at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore in collaboration with Dr Dean H o o f t h e U C L A S c h o o l o f D e n t i s t r y . W e have also researched what the team of professionals at Penn State University and Boston University have found in relation to nanomedicine and bone repair.

By Dinah JL Novak and John Johnson

Investigative and Research Services , NIIRS

21st Century

Stem Cell Therapy for Liver Disorders

Stem Cell Therapy for Liver Disordes

In the future stem cell therapy and nanotechnology will reduce or eliminate the old organ donation system Human liver, Archives Scientific Discoveries A new study in United States has shown that in the near future stem cell therapy may provide the cure for liver disorders. Until now liver transplantation has been the most effective treatment for patients who suffer a high level of liver damage. Researchers have been able to obtain liver progenitor cells from embryonic stem cells (ESC). Progenitor cells are similar to stem cells but they are already slightly differentiated cells for specific tissues and organs that can only divide a certain number of times. Through an in vitro process of differentiation the scientists have grown them out as mature liver cells that are functional. The investigation was completed in the Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Its senior researcher Valerie Gouon-Evans and her team explained in their paper, KDR identifies a conserved human and murine hepatic progenitor and instructs early liver development, published in Cell Stem Cell in June 2013, “Understanding the fetal hepatic niche is essential for optimizing the generation of functional hepatocyte-like cells (hepatic cells) from human embryonic stem cells (hESC).”

The Importance of KDR KDR was discovered on the cell surface of liver progenitor cells. This is a receptor protein with a very important task. Scientists thought that this protein was only present in progenitor cells that form vessels and blood cells. But the team of researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai demonstrated that they could “switch on” the 9

By Dinah JL Novak and John Johnson

Investigative and Research Services , NIIRS

21st Century

the liver progenitor cells by activating the KDR protein, a feature that contributed to converting them into mature liver cells ready to use for liver repair.

"Switching On" of Progenitor Cells But the team of researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai demonstrated that they could “switch on” the liver progenitor cells by activating the KDR protein, a feature that contributed to converting them into mature liver cells ready to use for liver repair. To test if these cells were optimally functional a further experiment was carried out by the Department of Microbiology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, they were infected by hepatitis C virus and they “responded” to such stimulus, an exclusive feature of original mature liver cells. In a second stage of this study, the investigators will try to use the regenerated cells (in vitro) in experimental animals to verify if their liver damage can be repaired with these cells made in the laboratory. This treatment is a step further in the evolution of liver treatments and there are chances that one day this type of stem cell therapy will reduce or eliminate the old organ donation system, dramatically increasing the survival rate of millions of patients worldwide.

Sources We have carried out our own research and investigated the scientific paper written by Valerie Gouon-Evans and her team published in Cell Stem Journal in June 2013.

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