FEBRUARY 19 - 25, 2018
Science & Technology nanobots
medical breakthrough
Indian Scientists Uncover Joint Cartilage Mechanism Indian researchers have made headway towards finding a molecule that can stop degeneration as well as promote regeneration of articular cartilage
Quick Glance
J
n Ratneshwar Thakur
oint pain due to osteoarthritis is an emerging health problem. Researchers are engaged in developing new strategies for osteoarthritis treatment based on regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and gene therapy. Now Indian researchers have made headway towards finding a molecule that can stop degeneration as well as promote regeneration of articular cartilage. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur have reported role of two novel molecules - NFIA and GATA3 - in development of joint cartilage during embryo growth. They have observed in chicken and mouse studies that both these molecules prevent cartilage degeneration. In addition, GATA3 can also promote formation of articular cartilage, which covers ends of joints. Deterioration of articular cartilage in joints causes osteoarthritis. The results of the study have been published in journal Development. “We have identified
Osteoarthiritis is an emerging health problem Molecules NFIA and GATA3 have been discovered The molecules are present during joint cartilage growth in embryo
and characterized roles of two novel articular cartilage factors - NFIA that prevents degeneration of cartilage and maintains it permanently throughout life; and GATA3 that is not only necessary to prevent cartilage degeneration but also can induce articular cartilage, in collaboration with other factors,” explained Dr.Amitabha Bandyopadhyay, who led the research team. Previous studies suggesst that genes involved in tissue repair and regeneration are largely similar to the ones associated with tissue building during embryo development. In an earlier study, this group had reported a collection of genes that are turned on exclusively during embryonic articular cartilage development.
The new discovery provides important pieces in the puzzle of how joints are initially formed in the body
In this study, the authors also observed an interesting phenomena where molecular manipulation leading to perturbance of articular cartilage also led to a defect in transient cartilage formation. Pratik Singh, co-author in this study says “this study provides novel insight into the cross-talk between articular cartilage and transient cartilage formation which is essential for successful development of limb skeleton. By studying these molecules further we hope to learn to make stable articular cartilage in vitro, currently a major challenge in the field.” “The work provides important pieces in the puzzle of how joints are initially formed in the body,” commented Dr.Terence D. Capellini of Human Evolutionary Biology department of Harvard University, who was not connected with the study. “We know that joint cartilage is different from other cartilage. It has a different tensile strength and unlike skeletal cartilage, it is resistant to ossification. This new work is going to be the first step in identifying how these differences are established at molecular level ,” said Dr. Raj Ladher from National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore. He is not a part of this study. “Despite the importance of joint/articular cartilage in normal physiology and disease conditions, very little is known about how it develops and is maintained permanently as cartilage throughout life. This limited understanding is perhaps why there is nos effective strategy to treat osteoarthritis,” said Dr Bandyopadhyay. The research team included Pratik Singh, U. S. Yadav, K. Azad and Amitabha Bandyopadhyay (IITKanpur) Pooja Goswami(KIIT University, Bhubaneswar), VeenaKinare (Sophia College for Women, Mumbai). The work was supported by grants from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) of Department Science and Technology (DST).
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Cancer-Fighting Nanorobots Can Shrink Tumours Scientists have successfully programmed nanobots that can potentially shrink tumours by cutting off their blood supply n SSB BUREAU
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n a major advancement in nanomedicine, an international team of scientists has successfully programmed nanorobots for the first time in mammals, that potentially shrinks tumours by cutting off their blood supply. Each nanorobot is made from a flat, rectangular DNA origami sheet that is 90 nanometres by 60 nanometres in size. Once bound to the tumour blood vessel surface, the nanorobot was programmed to deliver its unsuspecting drug cargo in the very heart of the tumour, exposing an enzyme called thrombin that is key to blood clotting. The nanorobots worked fast, congregating in large numbers to quickly surround the tumour just hours after injection. “We have developed the first fully autonomous, DNA robotic system for a very precise drug design and targeted cancer therapy,” said Hao Yan, Professor and Director at Arizona State University. The treatment blocked blood supply to the tumour and generated tumour tissue damage within 24 hours while having no effect on healthy tissues. After attacking tumours, most of the nanorobots were cleared and degraded from the body after 24 hours. The median survival time is more than doubled, extending from 20.5 to 45 days. “Moreover, this technology is a strategy that can be used for many types of cancer, since all solid tumour-feeding blood vessels are essentially the same,” Yan added, in a paper published in the journal Nature Biotechnology. Until now, the challenge to advancing nanomedicine has been difficult because scientists wanted to design, build and carefully control nanorobots to actively seek and destroy cancerous tumours, while not harming any healthy cells.