Ultrasound-activated scaffold may aid bone repair in rats
Experiments in a rat model supported the bone-regenerating potential of a scaffold that generates electrical stimulation when activated by ultrasound.
Our read
Interventions- Studied:
- Experiments in rats in a bone regeneration model
- What changed:
- The ultrasound-activated scaffold promoted bone regeneration in rats
- The catch:
- Bone-forming cell differentiation is a stand-in for bone repair
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, which can develop into bone-forming cells, were studied in a senescence-like state in laboratory experiments. Senescence is a state in which cells stop dividing. The researchers attached electrically active materials to the surface of a plastic scaffold.
When activated by ultrasound, these materials generated electrical stimulation. In the cells, this reduced abnormal opening of pores in mitochondria, the structures that supply cellular energy. It also reduced leakage of mitochondrial DNA. The scaffold stimulated mitochondrial energy metabolism and the cells’ development toward bone-forming cells. Experiments in a rat model further supported the scaffold’s potential to promote bone regeneration.
Why it matters
Energy problems in senescent bone marrow stem cells are a barrier to bone regeneration. Targeting those problems may offer a way to support bone repair under age-related bone loss conditions.
Caveats
The experiments involved cells grown in the lab and a rat model, leaving open whether the scaffold would help bone regenerate in people.
Comments
Be the first to comment.