Fwd: LASER Rx-Nerves

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Nerve Growth Gets Guiding LightLaser creates chemical channels for tissue engineering, nervous systemregeneration

By Gabe Romain, Betterhumans Staff3/25/2004 ? Hits: 430 ? Comments: 0

Laser light can be used to create chemical channels that guide theregeneration of severed nerves.The technique, devised by researcher Molly Shoichet and colleagues atthe University of Toronto's Institute for Biomaterials and BiomedicalEngineering in Canada, helps guide cell migration and cell adhesion forapplications such as tissue engineering. "We're very interested in using this system for biomedical applicationsand regenerative medicine, specifically for guiding nerve cells," saysShoichet.Migration and adhesionTissue engineering uses a combination of cells, engineering materialsand biochemical factors to replace, repair or regenerate tissues.Cell migration and cell adhesion are both very important factors fortissue engineering and regeneration.In the human body, cells migrate to build new tissues and repair damagedones. The failure of cells to migrate can result in vascular diseasesand various forms of cancer.Cell adhesion is the process in which cells attach to each other or tonon-cellular components of their environment to maintain normalfunctioning in the body. Faulty or abnormal cell adhesion has beenimplicated in a variety of diseases.Lighting a pathFor their study, Shoichet and colleagues combined agarose & mdash;a gelmedium used for separating large molecules & mdash;with compounds thatchange chemically when exposed to light. Shining a laser light on the mixture changes the chemical composition ofthe light-sensitive compounds and creates a "growth-friendly" chemicalchannel through the agarose. When the researchers placed neural cells at the opening of the channels,they migrated into and through them, filling the pathways rather thanclinging to their periphery. "Our findings have important implications for guiding where cells go andproviding a greater surface area for the neural stimuli to betransmitted," the researchers say. The method can be applied to any optically clear hydrogel, theresearchers say.The research is reported in the journal Nature (read abstract).Copyright © 2002-2004 BetterhumansAll rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of this article isexpressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Betterhumans.

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ve Growth Gets Guiding LightLaser creates chemical channels for tis

sue engineering, nervous system regenerationBy Gabe Romain, Betterhumans

Staff3/25/2004 ? Hits: 430 ? Comments: 0Laser light can be used to

create ch

Nerve Growth Gets Guiding Light

Laser creates chemical channels for tissue engineering, nervous system

regeneration

By Gabe Romain, Betterhumans Staff

3/25/2004 ? Hits: 430 ? Comments: 0

Laser light can be used to create chemical channels that guide the

regeneration of severed nerves.

The technique, devised by researcher Molly Shoichet and colleagues at

the University of Toronto's Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical

Engineering in Canada, helps guide cell migration and cell adhesion for

applications such as tissue engineering.

" We're very interested in using this system for biomedical applications

and regenerative medicine, specifically for guiding nerve cells, " says

Shoichet.

Migration and adhesion

Tissue engineering uses a combination of cells, engineering materials

and biochemical factors to replace, repair or regenerate tissues.

Cell migration and cell adhesion are both very important factors for

tissue engineering and regeneration.

In the human body, cells migrate to build new tissues and repair damaged

ones. The failure of cells to migrate can result in vascular diseases

and various forms of cancer.

Cell adhesion is the process in which cells attach to each other or to

non-cellular components of their environment to maintain normal

functioning in the body. Faulty or abnormal cell adhesion has been

implicated in a variety of diseases.

Lighting a path

For their study, Shoichet and colleagues combined agarose & mdash;a gel

medium used for separating large molecules & mdash;with compounds that

change chemically when exposed to light.

Shining a laser light on the mixture changes the chemical composition of

the light-sensitive compounds and creates a " growth-friendly " chemical

channel through the agarose.

When the researchers placed neural cells at the opening of the channels,

they migrated into and through them, filling the pathways rather than

clinging to their periphery.

" Our findings have important implications for guiding where cells go and

providing a greater surface area for the neural stimuli to be

transmitted, " the researchers say.

The method can be applied to any optically clear hydrogel, the

researchers say.

The research is reported in the journal Nature (read abstract).

Copyright © 2002-2004 Betterhumans

All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of this article is

expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Betterhumans.