NanomedicineCenter.com

Scientists speed up bone growth

Researchers at the University of California in San Diego have reported that they have developed a new technique which allows them to speed up bone growth by using nanotubes and stem cells. These results are of huge importance that could improve recovery in patients who undergo orthopedic surgery.

What did the scientists do? They used a “bionanotechnology” technique of placing mesenchymal stem cells on top of very thin titanium oxide nanotubes in order to control the conversion paths, called differentiation, into osteoblasts or bone building cells. Mesenchymal stem cells, which are different from embryonic stem cells, can be extracted and directly supplied from a patient’s own bone marrow.
“If you break your knee or leg from skiing, for example, an orthopedic surgeon will implant a titanium rod, and you will be on crutches for about three months,” said Sungho Jin, one of the researchers.
“But we have discovered through our research that if the surgeon uses titanium oxide nanotubes with stem cells, the bone healing could be accelerated and a patient may be able to walk in one month instead of being on crunches for three months,” adds Jin.

This is the first research of its kind — combining stem cells with titanium oxide nanotube implants. The scientists’ plan for the near future is to communicate with orthopedic surgeons in order to translate this breakthrough research to clinical application.

The details are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source: ucsd.edu

Are quantum dots toxic

Scientists from Texas have reported that a recent research they’ve conducted showed that quantum dots may be toxic under certain conditions — acidic or alkaline. Products based on quantum dots are spreading in many areas — electronics, medical diagnostics and solar cells, and that’s why these results are very concerning.

The research showed that quantum dots are semiconductor nanocrystals made of a metal core surrounded by a shell composed of zinc or cadmium sulfide. Researchers are concerned that these submicroscopic dots could decompose during normal use or after disposal. That decomposition could release toxic metals into the environment, posing a health risk to humans and animals.
To explore this further, scientists exposed two types of bacteria to quantum dots under different conditions – acidity and alkalinity. At near neutral pH levels, bacteria exposed to quantum dots experienced decreased rates of growth, but did not die. However, at moderately acidic or alkaline conditions, many of the quantum dots-exposed bacteria died as quantum dot’s shells decomposed, releasing their content of toxic metals. However, proteins and natural organic matter may be able to mitigate toxicity by complexing metal ions or coating particles.

Source: ACS

Iran among top 25 in the world of nanotechnology

In 2000, Iran was 60th on the list of most advanced countries in the nanotechnology field. It didn’t really seem that the rank will improve, but it did — significantly. Iran managed to improve its rank to the 25th place in just 8 years, and they are holding the 1st place among the Muslim countries for several years now.

Chairman of the Nanotechnology Association of Iran, Dr. Mojtaba Shariati Niasar, said that Iran’s research in this field during the post-Islamic revolution era can’t be compared with that before the Islamic Revolution. He also said that Iranian researchers published more than 1,100 ISI articles in the nanotechnology field over the past seven years and more than 10 universities all across the country are now involved in the nano-related sciences and technology.
“Over 2,250 MA and Ph.D. theses were compiled and hundreds of scientific and specialized meetings were held on the issue,” added Dr. Niasar.

Everybody knows that Iran is heavily investing in nano-related fields, and they will probably approach the top 15 in the very near future.

Source: payvand.com/news/09/jan/1275.html