Treatment plan: reducing air emissions and a new way to fight cancer
Russian scientists are conducting preclinical research on a new way to reconstruct nerves and fight cancer, as well as synthesizing long-lived cells for larger-scale drug production. In Europe, they have developed a drug capable of reducing the level of "bad" cholesterol in the blood once and for all, and built the largest complex for carbon dioxide capture and transportation. Read more about the interesting science news of the week in the "Izvestia" collection.
A unique implant will restore nerves after severe injuries
Scientists from the Institute of Biomedical Engineering of NUST MISIS are creating an artificial nerve that can not only connect damaged areas, but also direct the growth of new fibers. The developed implant mimics key elements of the natural structure of the nerve and creates a kind of "framework" for cells to repair, and then gradually dissolves in the body. As the scientists explained, the restoration of peripheral nerves is one of the most difficult tasks of reconstructive surgery. With large-scale injuries, doctors usually transplant a section of their own nerve to the patient, but this requires additional surgical intervention, increases the duration of the operation and leads to injury to healthy tissues.
Igor Blagov at work with an electrospinning machine
Therefore, artificial materials capable of replacing the patient's tissues are being searched all over the world. If nerve fibers are damaged, their individual bundles must be properly connected, and then conditions must be created so that the cells can gain a foothold and grow in the right direction. In the development of the MISIS bioengineers, these tasks are combined in a single tubular implant: it allows the ends of the damaged nerve to be connected more precisely, helps the cells to attach to the surface of the guiding elements of the conduit and thus orients the growth of new fibers.
Due to this, the technology can improve the efficiency of recovery of motor functions and sensitivity. First of all, it will find application in reconstructive surgery and neurosurgery for the treatment of patients with severe limb injuries, experts said. However, the development is still at an early stage: scientists will have to confirm its effectiveness and safety in preclinical and clinical studies.
Russia synthesizes new cells for drug production
Scientists of the FITZ Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences have created long-lived cells that can produce many times more proteins and not die. Proteins are constantly being formed in each cell, which must be properly folded and undergo internal quality control. Experts have taken this function of ribosomes as the basis for the development of medicines. But the cells used there must synthesize many times more proteins, which leads to an overload of the endoplasmic reticulum, and then to death. Scientists created long-lived cells and compared them with ordinary cells, subjecting both groups to artificial stress.
It turned out that ordinary cells activated only 404 defense genes and began to break down, while modified ones rebuilt the work of 1019 genes at once, adjusted the transport of amino acids, enhanced the internal "utilization of defective proteins" and purification from toxins. In addition, according to the authors of the project, the study allows us to see specific bottlenecks and select new target genes for genomic editing, which makes it possible to create cell variants that are even more resistant to the production of extreme amounts of proteins.
Emissions to the atmosphere were reduced by the Norwegian plant in the Netherlands
On September 7, the largest carbon dioxide capture facility in Europe opened in the province of Zealand. The project of the Norwegian fertilizer company Yara International involves reducing harmful emissions into the atmosphere that affect the climate.
According to experts, the new complex will be able to capture up to 800 thousand tons of CO₂. The gas will then be liquefied and transported to Norway, where it will be "buried" offshore at a depth of approximately 2.6 km. With the help of carbon dioxide capture technology, the EU hopes to achieve the goal of zero emissions by 2050.
First of all, such systems will be useful in industries for which there are no low-carbon alternatives yet. These include, for example, chemical production.
Experiments to reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol are carried out in Europe
The results of a one-year follow-up of a group of 15 people with severe lipid metabolism disorders were presented at the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology. Each of them received a dose of a new drug "CTX310", which changes the work of the gene responsible for regulating fat metabolism. Suppression of its activity can reduce the concentration of dangerous substances in the blood of patients.
The main task of researchers at this stage is to understand how long the effect will last. During the year of follow-up, the concentration of cholesterol and other important indicators decreased by about 50% in patients who received the maximum dose. The safety of the new drug for humans has now been proven, but the effects of long-term suppression of ANGPTL3 gene activity have not been sufficiently studied.
This requires long-term monitoring of control groups with a large number of participants. According to experts, irreversible gene editing requires serious preclinical studies, but if successful, the new drug will allow replacing long-term therapy with a one-time medication.
Golden nanostars have become a double weapon against cancer
MIPT scientists have taught golden nanostars to find cancer cells using special proteins that recognize the characteristic carbohydrate structures on their surface. This approach made it possible to ensure targeted delivery of nanoparticles to the tumor and use them simultaneously for diagnosis and photothermal therapy. The same nanostar first helps to see the tumor, and then destroys it from heating without a scalpel and without drugs.
— If a tumor does not have the usual protein targets, this does not mean that it becomes invisible. In malignant degeneration, not only the set of protein receptors changes, but also the composition of carbohydrate structures on the cell surface. Our idea was to recognize these changes using lectins and use them as guides for targeted delivery of nanoparticles. This approach is especially important for tumors that lack classical therapeutic targets," explained Victoria Shipunova, head of the study.
Gold nanostars decorated with lectins for cancer theranostics: imaging of tumors and photothermal therapy
The scientists conducted several experiments on mice. When nanostars accumulated in the tumor, it was irradiated with a laser in the near-infrared range. The particles absorbed light and turned it into heat: the temperature of the tumor increased by several degrees, while the surrounding healthy tissues practically did not heat up. After one injection and one photothermal therapy procedure, by the 18th day of the experiment, tumor growth suppression reached 100%. According to oncologists, the technique looks promising, especially for the treatment of tumors with an atypical molecular profile. However, the research is still at the preclinical stage, and it is necessary to wait for the results of the full test cycle.
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