SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 11 - The promise of regenerative medicine and the nanotechnology catapulting it into the forefront of chemistry are highlighted in two papers being presented on Monday, Sept. 11, in San Francisco during the American Chemical Society's 232nd national meeting. The presentations occur on the second day of a three-day symposium, "Advances in Nanomedicine," Sept. 10-12. Both papers will be presented at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, Monterey/Cypress Rooms.
Nanotubes help adult stem cells morph into neurons in brain-damaged rats - Carbon nanotubes - 80,000 times thinner than a human hair - enhance the ability of adult stem cells to differentiate into healthy neurons in stroke-damaged rat brains, according to American and South Korean researchers. Thomas Webster, Ph.D., of Brown University in Providence, R.I, and colleagues at Yonsei University in Seoul mixed nanotubes with adult rat stem cells and then implanted the mixture into brain-damaged areas of three rats that had suffered strokes. In six other rats that had strokes, they implanted either adult stem cells or nanotubes - but not both - into brain-damaged areas. After following the animals for up to eight weeks, the researchers concluded that neither nanotubes nor adult stem cells alone triggered regeneration or repair in the brain-damaged regions. In fact, when used alone, adult stem cells migrated to healthy areas of the brain. But when combined with nanotubes, adult stem cells not only remained in the brain-damaged regions, they began to differentiate into functioning neurons. The finding could have important implications for the treatment of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders, Webster says. (COLL 217, Monday, Sept. 11, 3:20 p.m.)
Nanostructures promote formation of blood vessels, bolster cardiovascular function after heart attack - Injecting nanoparticles into the hearts of mice that suffered heart attacks helped restore cardiovascular funct
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11-Sep-2006