How many times have you heard the saying “blood is life”? Now this saying takes on an even deeper meaning. An international team of scientists has in fact developed a blood-based “biocooperative” implant, which exploits and enhances the body's natural repair mechanisms, opening up new perspectives for the treatment of bone fractures. Where do we start? Well, as always: at the beginning.
A “biocooperative” material to regenerate bones
The new material has been defined by the researchers as “regenerative biocooperative” because it exploits synthetic peptides to improve the structure and function of the barrier that naturally forms when blood clots following an injury.
In tests conducted on rats, this gelatinous substance, which can also be printed in 3D, has been shown to be effective in repairing bone damage. If this technology can be adapted and applied on a large scale for human use, it could represent a huge step forward in enhancing the body's natural healing processes.
“The ability to easily and safely turn people’s blood into highly regenerative implants is really exciting,” he says. Cosimo Ligorio, biomedical engineer of theNottingham University in the UK. “Blood can be readily obtained from patients in relatively large volumes” (BTW: donate).
Tailor-made peptides to enhance clotting
A key component of the blood clotting process is thesolid regenerative hematoma (RH), on which researchers have focused their attention. In the laboratory, tailor-made molecules called amphiphilic peptides (AP), which help guide and enhance what the RH does naturally.
When added to human blood, these molecules safely enhanced the clotting process. The researchers were able to connect PA peptide nanofibers to the RH scaffold, for example, driving the creation of more robust structures.
Using PAs added to the animals' blood to create the material, the team was able to successfully repair small bone defects in the skulls of rats.
Several types of cells key to the repair process – including mesenchymal stromal cells, endothelial cells and fibroblasts (which help form connective tissue) have been observed to be active in new implant material.
“By exploiting nonselective and selective PA-blood interactions, the material can be readily manipulated, mechanically tuned, and 3D printed,” the researchers write in their published study.
Advanced materials , 2024)
Harnessing the body's intelligence to heal better
Scientists have long been interested in harnessing the body’s natural repair processes to improve medical treatments, whether it’s boosting the immune system or enhancing natural materials with synthetic components.
Our bodies are actually incredibly smart when it comes to repairing damage and injury. The problem? These repair processes can sometimes become overwhelmed and tend to become less effective as we age and as stress and wear and tear accumulate.
While this research is still in its early stages and is only a proof of concept at this point, regenerative approaches like this have the potential to keep us healthier for longer. They could help reverse some of the damage the body suffers over time, as well as help with chronic conditions.
A New “Biocooperative” Strategy for Regenerative Medicine
“This ‘biocooperative’ approach opens up opportunities to develop regenerative materials by exploiting and enhancing the mechanisms of the natural healing process.” This is what was said by Alvaro Mata, biomedical engineer at the University of Nottingham.
“In other words, our approach aims to use the regenerative mechanisms we have evolved with as manufacturing steps to design regenerative materials.”
Research (I link it to you here) was published on Advanced materials, one of the most prestigious scientific journals in the sector. It represents a first, important step towards the development of implants and therapies based on the body's natural healing processes, enhanced by specially designed synthetic components.
In the near future, we can expect even more effective and safe treatments for a wide range of pathologies and traumas, from fractures to degenerative diseases. And who knows, maybe one day, thanks to these innovations, breaking a bone will no longer be a serious problem as it is today.
