#New Sensors Measure Blood Anticoagulation Drug Iranian researchers from Isfahan University of Technology produced a highly sensitive and accurate sensor
which can measure a type of blood anticoagulation drug. The sensor was produced through a simple
and cost-effective method and its application does not require advanced skills. Protamine is an important drug that is used as an anti-heparin agent to prevent blood coagulation during cardiovascular surgeries.
Excess consumption of protamine causes undesirable effects, including sudden reduction in blood pressure, shortness of breath and feeling hot.
Therefore, researchers have paid recently special attention to quick and exact methods to measure protamine. In this research
a simple but very sensitive sensor based on fluorescence spectroscopy was presented by using cadmium telluride quantum dots to quickly measure protamine drug.
Taking into account the fact that this sensor presents a simple and quick method for the measurement of protamine,
it is able to prevent excess consumption of the drug without wasting time. Therefore, the required medical actions can be taken before it gets too late.
In addition to its high speed, this sensor minimizes environmental pollution due to the use of very low concentration of quantum dots in the production of the sensor and the lack of the need for toxic and organic solvents.
Researchers believe that the results of the research can be commercialized due to the advantages of the sensor including quick and fast measurement,
low production cost and the availability of the devices required for tracing signal (fluorescence spectroscopy device) c
#A new look at surface chemistry: Technique for studying the atomic structure of material surfaces holds promise for catalysis, corrosion and other critical reactions Abstract:
For the first time in the long and vaunted history of scanning electron microscopy, the unique atomic structure at the surface of a material has been resolved.
This landmark in scientific imaging was made possible by a new analytic technique developed by a multi-institutional team of researchers,
including scientists from the U s. Department of energy (DOE)' s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab)."We've developed a reasonably direct method for determining the atomic structure of a surface that also addresses the very challenging problem of buried interfaces,
"says Jim Ciston, a staff scientist with the National Center for Electron microscopy (NCEM) at the Molecular Foundry,
a DOE Office of Science User Facility.""Although surface atoms represent a minuscule fraction of the total number of atoms in a material, these atoms drive a large portion of the material's chemical interactions with its environment."
"Ciston is the lead and corresponding author of a paper describing this new analytical method in the journal Nature Communications.
The article is titled"Surface Determination through Atomically Resolved Secondary Electron Imaging.""Other co-authors are Hamish Brown, Adrian D'Alfonso, Pratik Koirala, Colin Ophus, Yuyuan Lin, Yuya Suzuki, Hiromi Inada, Yimei Zhu, Les Allen,
and Laurence Marks. Most materials interact with other materials through their surfaces, which are often different in both structure and chemistry from the bulk of the material.
Many important processes take place at surfaces, ranging from the catalysts used for the generation of energy-dense fuels from sunlight and carbon dioxide, to how bridges and airplanes rust."
"In essence, the surface of every material can act as its own nanomaterial coating that can greatly change its chemistry and behavior,
"Ciston says.""To understand these processes and improve material performance it is vital to know how the atoms are arranged at surfaces.
While there are now many good methods for obtaining this information for rather flat surfaces, when the surfaces are rough most currently available tools are limited in
but typically provides information only about topology at nanoscale resolution. A highly promising new version of scanning electron microscopy, called"high-resolution scanning electron microscopy,
and causing atoms in the material to emit energy in the form of electrons rather than photons.
progress in materials science applications has been slow due to an inability to directly interpret the surface and bulk components of HRSEM images independently,
"We started this work by investigating a well-studied material, but new technique is so powerful that we had to revise much of was thought already to be well-known,
Co-author Allen, a scientist with Melbourne University in Australia, who led the theoretical and modeling aspects of the new imaging technique,
adds:""we now have sophisticated a understanding of what the images mean"."Perhaps the first target for applying this new HRSEM surface analytic technique will be the study of surface structures on the facets of nanoparticles.
The surface structures of nanoparticle facets are extremely challenging to image in the plan view (seen from above) using electron microscopy,
a deficit that needs to be corrected as Ciston explains.""Plan view geometry is important because surface structures will often develop multiple domains,
since scanning probe techniques cannot usually address nanoparticle surfaces at atomic resolution, and surface X-ray diffraction requires large, single crystal surfaces."
"Says co-author Marks, a professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern University, "We are excited also quite by the possibilities of applying these to corrosion problems.
The cost to industry and the military of corrosion is enormous, and we need to understand everything that is taking place to produce materials
"##About DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratorylawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy,
The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U s. Department of energy's Office of Science.
For more information, please visit the Office of Science website at science. energy. gov/.For more information,
'510-486-5375copyright DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratoryissuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
News and information On the Surface of Polymers June 17th, 2015deben reports on how the University of Portsmouth use in situ XCT compressive testing to help answer how materials respond to complex loading conditions June 17th,
2015high-tech nanofibres could help nutrients in food hit the spot June 17th, 2015imaging Deben reports on how the University of Portsmouth use in situ XCT compressive testing to help answer how materials respond to complex loading conditions June 17th,
2015renishaw's invia confocal Raman microscope system is being used in conservation activities at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam,
New ideas are bubbling up for more efficient computer memory June 13th, 2015national Maglab achieves record high field of 27 Tesla in an all-superconducting magnet using Oxford instruments 15 Tesla outsert system June 12th, 2015framework materials yield to pressure June 11th,
Graphene and diamonds prove a slippery combination June 10th, 2015govt. -Legislation/Regulation/Funding/Policy Toward nanorobots that swim through blood to deliver drugs (video) June 17th,
2015arrowhead Receives Regulatory Clearance to Begin Additional Phase 2b Studies of Hepatitis b Candidate ARC-520 June 17th,
2015discoveries Toward nanorobots that swim through blood to deliver drugs (video) June 17th, 2015high-tech nanofibres could help nutrients in food hit the spot June 17th,
2015cellulose from wood can be printed in 3-D June 17th, 2015graphene heat-transfer riddle unraveled June 17th,
2015materials/Metamaterials Deben reports on how the University of Portsmouth use in situ XCT compressive testing to help answer how materials respond to complex loading conditions June 17th,
2015cellulose from wood can be printed in 3-D June 17th, 2015solar cells in the roof and nanotechnology in the walls June 16th, 2015buckle up for fast ionic conduction June 16th,
2015announcements High-tech nanofibres could help nutrients in food hit the spot June 17th, 2015dyesol Joins Solliance as an Industrial Partner June 17th,
2015interviews/Book reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers Toward nanorobots that swim through blood to deliver drugs (video) June 17th,
2015deben reports on how the University of Portsmouth use in situ XCT compressive testing to help answer how materials respond to complex loading conditions June 17th,
#Biomedical breakthrough: Carbon nanoparticles you can make at home Abstract: Researchers have found an easy way to produce carbon nanoparticles that are small enough to evade the body's immune system,
reflect light in the near-infrared range for easy detection, and carry payloads of pharmaceutical drugs to targeted tissues.
Unlike other methods of making carbon nanoparticles-which require expensive equipment and purification processes that can take days-the new approach generates the particles in a few hours
and uses only a handful of ingredients, including store-bought molasses. The researchers, led by University of Illinois bioengineering professors Dipanjan Pan
and Rohit Bhargava, report their findings in the journal Small.""If you have a microwave and honey or molasses,
you can pretty much make these particles at home, "Pan said.""You just mix them together and cook it for a few minutes,
but that is nanoparticles with high luminescence. This is one of the simplest systems that we can think of.
The nanoparticles are coated with polymers that fine-tune their optical properties and their rate of degradation in the body.
The polymers can be loaded with drugs that are released gradually. The nanoparticles also can be made quite small,
less than eight nanometers in diameter (a human hair is 80,000 to 100, 000 nanometers thick."
"Our immune system fails to recognize anything under 10 nanometers, "Pan said.""So, these tiny particles are camouflaged kind of,
I would say; they are hiding from the human immune system.""The team tested the therapeutic potential of the nanoparticles by loading them with an anti-melanoma drug
and mixing them in a topical solution that was applied to pig skin. Bhargava's laboratory used vibrational spectroscopic techniques to identify the molecular structure of the nanoparticles and their cargo."
"Raman and infrared spectroscopy are the two tools that one uses to see molecular structure, "Bhargava said."
"We think we coated this particle with a specific polymer and with specific drug-loading
-but did we really? We use spectroscopy to confirm the formulation as well as visualize the delivery of the particles and drug molecules."
"The team found that the nanoparticles did not release the drug payload at room temperature, but at body temperature began to release the anticancer drug.
The researchers also determined which topical applications penetrated the skin to a desired depth. In further experiments, the researchers found they could alter the infusion of the particles into melanoma cells by adjusting the polymer coatings.
Imaging confirmed that the infused cells began to swell, a sign of impending cell death."
"This is a versatile platform to carry a multitude of drugs-for melanoma, for other kinds of cancers and for other diseases,
"You can coat it with different polymers to give it a different optical response. You can load it with two drugs,
so you can do multidrug therapy with the same particles.""""By using defined surface chemistry,
and also we can tune them to release the drugs in the presence of the cellular environment.
That is, I think, the beauty of the work."#"##The research team included faculty members in bioengineering, chemical and biomolecular engineering, chemistry, electrical and computer engineering and mechanical science and engineering;
and researchers in the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center and the Materials Research Laboratory at Illinois. Pan and Bhargava are faculty members in the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at Illinois,
and are affiliated with Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Illinois.##For more information, please click herecontacts:
Diana Yateswriteemail('illinois. edu','diya';'217-333-5802dipanjan Pan217-244-2938writeemail('illinois. edu','dipanjan';'Rohit Bhargava217-265-6596writeemail('illinois. edu','rxb';
'Copyright University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaignissuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
The paper,"Tunable luminescent carbon nanospheres with well-defined nanoscale chemistry for synchronized imaging and therapy,"is available online:
Imaging Scientists film shock waves in diamond: X-ray laser opens up new avenues of research in material science June 18th, 2015a new way to image surfaces on the nanoscale:
Method could be useful in developing green energy and a better understanding of rust June 18th, 2015news and information Scientists film shock waves in diamond:
X-ray laser opens up new avenues of research in material science June 18th, 2015stanford engineers find a simple yet clever way to boost chip speeds:
Inside each chip are millions of tiny wires to transport data; wrapping them in a protective layer of graphene could boost speeds by up to 30 percent June 18th, 2015a new way to image surfaces on the nanoscale:
Method could be useful in developing green energy and a better understanding of rust June 18th, 2015registration in 8th Int'l Iran Nano Expo 2015 Starts June 18th, 2015chemistry $8
. 5m Grant For Developing Nano Printing Technology: 4-D printing to advance chemistry, materials sciences and defense capabilities June 18th, 2015cancer First full genome of a living organism assembled using technology the size of smartphone June 15th,
2015paper Published on Keystone Nanos Ceramide Nanoliposome Program June 11th, 2015lehigh University researchers unveil engineering innovations at Techconnect 2015:
Techconnect is the world's largest accelerator for industry-vetted emerging-technologies ready for commercialization June 11th, 2015synthesis of Special Nanoparticles in Iran to Increase MRI Contrast June 11th,
2015nanomedicine Toward nanorobots that swim through blood to deliver drugs (video) June 17th, 2015arrowhead Receives Regulatory Clearance to Begin Additional Phase 2b Studies of Hepatitis b Candidate ARC-520 June 17th,
2015cellulose from wood can be printed in 3-D June 17th, 2015new Sensors Measure Blood Anticoagulation Drug June 17th, 2015discoveries Scientists film shock waves in diamond:
X-ray laser opens up new avenues of research in material science June 18th, 2015stanford engineers find a simple yet clever way to boost chip speeds:
Inside each chip are millions of tiny wires to transport data; wrapping them in a protective layer of graphene could boost speeds by up to 30 percent June 18th, 2015a new way to image surfaces on the nanoscale:
Method could be useful in developing green energy and a better understanding of rust June 18th, 2015new Sensors Measure Blood Anticoagulation Drug June 17th,
2015announcements Stanford engineers find a simple yet clever way to boost chip speeds: Inside each chip are millions of tiny wires to transport data;
wrapping them in a protective layer of graphene could boost speeds by up to 30 percent June 18th, 2015$8. 5m Grant For Developing Nano Printing Technology:
4-D printing to advance chemistry, materials sciences and defense capabilities June 18th, 2015a new way to image surfaces on the nanoscale:
Method could be useful in developing green energy and a better understanding of rust June 18th, 2015registration in 8th Int'l Iran Nano Expo 2015 Starts June 18th, 2015interviews/Book reviews
/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers Scientists film shock waves in diamond: X-ray laser opens up new avenues of research in material science June 18th,
2015stanford engineers find a simple yet clever way to boost chip speeds: Inside each chip are millions of tiny wires to transport data;
wrapping them in a protective layer of graphene could boost speeds by up to 30 percent June 18th, 2015a new way to image surfaces on the nanoscale:
Method could be useful in developing green energy and a better understanding of rust June 18th, 2015new Sensors Measure Blood Anticoagulation Drug June 17th,
2015research partnerships Stanford engineers find a simple yet clever way to boost chip speeds: Inside each chip are millions of tiny wires to transport data;
wrapping them in a protective layer of graphene could boost speeds by up to 30 percent June 18th, 2015$8. 5m Grant For Developing Nano Printing Technology:
4-D printing to advance chemistry, materials sciences and defense capabilities June 18th, 2015a new way to image surfaces on the nanoscale:
Method could be useful in developing green energy and a better understanding of rust June 18th, 2015graphene heat-transfer riddle unraveled June 17th, 201 0
#Researchers first to show that Saharan silver ants can control electromagnetic waves over an extremely broad range of the electromagnetic spectrumindings may lead to biologically inspired coatings for passive radiative cooling of objects Nanfang Yu, assistant professor of applied
physics at Columbia Engineering, and colleagues from the University of Zürich and the University of Washington, have discovered two key strategies that enable Saharan silver ants to stay cool in one of the hottest terrestrial environments On earth.
Yu team is the first to demonstrate that the ants use a coat of uniquely shaped hairs to control electromagnetic waves over an extremely broad range from the solar spectrum (visible and near-infrared) to the thermal radiation spectrum (mid-infrared
and that different physical mechanisms are used in different spectral bands to realize the same biological function of reducing body temperature.
Their research, aharan silver ants keep cool by combining enhanced optical reflection and radiative heat dissipation,
is published June 18 in Science magazine. his is a telling example of how evolution has triggered the adaptation of physical attributes to accomplish a physiological task
and ensure survival, in this case to prevent Saharan silver ants from getting overheated, Yu says. hile there have been many studies of the physical optics of living systems in the ultraviolet and visible range of the spectrum,
our understanding of the role of infrared light in their lives is advanced much less. Our study shows that light invisible to the human eye does not necessarily mean that it does not play a crucial role for living organisms.
The project was triggered initially by wondering whether the antsconspicuous silvery coats were important in keeping them cool in blistering heat.
Yu team found that the answer to this question was much broader once they realized the important role of infrared light.
Their discovery that there is a biological solution to a thermoregulatory problem could lead to the development of novel flat optical components that exhibit optimal cooling properties. uch biologically inspired cooling surfaces will have high reflectivity in the solar
Yu explains. o this may generate useful applications such as a cooling surface for vehicles, buildings, instruments,
Saharan silver ants (Cataglyphis bombycina) forage in the Saharan Desert in the full midday sun when surface temperatures reach up to 70°C (158°F),
This passive cooling effect works under the full sun whenever the insects are exposed to the clear sky. o appreciate the effect of thermal radiation,
says Yu. alf of the energy loss at that moment is due to thermal radiation since your skin temperature is temporarily much higher than that of the surrounding environment.
The researchers found that the enhanced reflectivity in the solar spectrum and enhanced thermal radiative efficiency have comparable contributions to reducing the body temperature of silver ants by 5 to 10 degrees compared to
if the ants were without the hair cover. he fact that these silver ants can manipulate electromagnetic waves over such a broad range of spectrum shows us just how complex the function of these seemingly simple biological organs of an insect can be,
observes Norman Nan Shi, lead author of the study and Phd student who works with Yu at Columbia Engineering.
Yu and Shi collaborated on the project with Rüdiger Wehner professor at the Brain Research Institute, University of Zürich, Switzerland,
and Gary Bernard, electrical engineering professor at the University of Washington, Seattle, who are renowned experts in the study of insect physiology and ecology.
The Columbia Engineering team designed and conducted all experimental work, including optical and infrared microscopy and spectroscopy experiments, thermodynamic experiments,
and computer simulation and modeling. They are currently working on adapting the engineering lessons learned from the study of Saharan silver ants to create flat optical components,
or etasurfaces, that consist of a planar array of nanophotonic elements and provide designer optical and thermal radiative properties.
and organisms living in extreme environments, trying to learn the strategies these creatures have developed to cope with harsh environmental conditions. nimals have evolved diverse strategies to perceive
butterflies create colors from nanostructures in their wings, honey bees can see and respond to ultraviolet signals,
and fireflies use flash communication systems, Yu adds. rgans evolved for perceiving or controlling electromagnetic waves often surpass analogous man-made devices in both sophistication and efficiency.
Understanding and harnessing natural design concepts deepens our knowledge of complex biological systems and inspires ideas for creating novel technologies.
The study was supported by the National Science Foundation under the Electronics, Photonics, and Magnetic Devices program (ECCS-1307948) and Physics of Living Systems program (PHY-1411445),
and the Air force Office of Scientific research (AFOSR) Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI) program (FA9550-14-1-0389.
Research was carried also out in part at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory f
#Sweeping lasers snap together nanoscale geometric grids: New technique creates multilayered, self-assembled grids with fully customizable shapes and compositions Down at the nanoscale,
where objects span just billionths of a meter, the size and shape of a material can often have surprising and powerful electronic and optical effects.
Building larger materials that retain subtle nanoscale features is an ongoing challenge that shapes countless emerging technologies.
Now, scientists at the U s. Department of energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new technique to rapidly create nano-structured grids for functional materials with unprecedented versatility."
"We can fabricate multi-layer grids composed of different materials in virtually any geometric configuration,
"said study coauthor and Brookhaven Lab scientist Kevin Yager.""By quickly and independently controlling the nanoscale structure and the composition,
we can tailor the performance of these materials. Crucially, the process can be adapted easily for large-scale applications."
"The results--published online June 23 in the journal Nature Communications--could transform the manufacture of high-tech coatings for anti-reflective surfaces, improved solar cells,
and touchscreen electronics. The scientists synthesized the materials at Brookhaven Lab's Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN)
and characterized the nanoscale architectures using electron microscopy at CFN and x-ray scattering at the National Synchrotron Light source--both DOE Office of Science User Facilities.
The new technique relies on polymer self-assembly, where molecules are designed to spontaneously assemble into desired structures.
Self-assembly requires a burst of heat to make the molecules snap into the proper configurations.
Here an intensely hot laser swept across the sample to transform disordered polymer blocks into precise arrangements in just seconds."
"Self-assembled structures tend to automatically follow molecular preferences, making custom architectures challenging,"said lead author Pawel Majewski, a postdoctoral researcher at Brookhaven."
"Laser-assembled nanowires For the first step in grid construction, the team took advantage of their recent invention of laser zone annealing (LZA) to produce the extremely localized thermal spikes needed to drive ultra-fast self-assembly.
To further exploit the power and precision of LZA, the researchers applied a heat-sensitive elastic coating on top of the unassembled polymer film.
--which pulls and aligns the rapidly forming nanoscale cylinders.""The end result is that in less than one second,
who leads the Electronic nanomaterials group at CFN.""This order persists over macroscopic areas and would be difficult to achieve with any other method."
"To make these two-dimensional grids functional, the scientists converted the polymer base into other materials.
One method involved taking the nano-cylinder layer and dipping it into a solution containing metal salts.
These molecules then glom onto the self-assembled polymer, converting it into a metallic mesh.
A wide range of reactive or conductive metals can be used, including platinum, gold, and palladium.
where a vaporized material infiltrates the polymer nano-cylinders and transforms them into functional nanowires.
Layer-by-layer lattice The first completed nanowire array acts as the foundation of the full lattice.
Additional layers each one following variations on that same process, are stacked then to produce customized, crisscrossing configurations--like chain-link fences 10,000 times thinner than a human hair."
"The direction of the laser sweeping across each unassembled layer determines the orientation of the nanowire rows,
and overlap shapes the grid. We then apply the functional materials after each layer forms.
"We can stack metals on insulators, too, embedding different functional properties and interactions within one lattice structure."
"For example, a single layer of platinum nanowires conducts electricity in only one direction, but a two-layer mesh conducts uniformly in all directions."
allowing it to drive polymer self-assembly even on top of complex underlying layers. This versatility enables the use of a wide variety of materials in different nanoscale configurations."
"We can generate nearly any two-dimensional lattice shape, and thus have a lot of freedom in fabricating multi-component nanostructures,
"Yager said.""It's hard to anticipate all the technologies this rapid and versatile technique will allow
#Nanowire implants offer remote-controlled drug delivery Abstract: Remote-controlled Eradication of Astrogliosis in Spinal cord Injury via Electromagnetically-induced Dexamethasone Release from"Smart"Nanowireswen Gao and Richard Borgenswe describe a system to deliver drugs to selected tissues continuously,
if required, for weeks. Drugs can be released remotely inside the small animals using pre-implanted,
novel vertically aligned electromagnetically-sensitive Polypyrrole Nanowires (Ppynws). Approximately 1-2mm 2 Dexamethasone (DEX) doped Ppynws was lifted on a single drop of sterile water by surface tension,
and deposited onto a spinal cord lesion in Glial fibrillary acidic protein-luc Transgenic mices (GFAP-luc mice). Overexpression of GFAP is an indicator of astrogliosis/neuroinflammation in CNS injury.
The corticosteroid DEX, a powerful ameliorator of inflammation, was released from the polymer by external application of an Electromagnetic field for 2 hours/day for a week.
The GFAP signal, revealed by bioluminescent imaging in the living animal, was reduced significantly in treated animals.
At 1 week, GFAP was at the edge of detection, and in some experimental animals, completely eradicated.
and non-invasively, opening the door to many other known therapies, such as the cases that dexamethasone cannot be applied safely systemically in large concentrations.
A team of researchers has created a new implantable drug-delivery system using nanowires that can be controlled wirelessly.
The nanowires respond to an electromagnetic field generated by a separate device, which can be used to control the release of a preloaded drug.
and wires required by other implantable devices that can lead to infection and other complications, said team leader Richard Borgens, Purdue University's Mari Hulman George Professor of Applied Neuroscience and director of Purdue's Center for Paralysis Research."
"This tool allows us to apply drugs as needed directly to the site of injury, which could have broad medical applications,
"Borgens said.""The technology is in the early stages of testing, but it is our hope that this could one day be used to deliver drugs directly to spinal cord injuries, ulcerations, deep bone injuries or tumors,
and avoid the terrible side effects of systemic treatment with steroids or chemotherapy.""The team tested the drug-delivery system in mice with compression injuries to their spinal cords
and administered the corticosteroid dexamethasone. The study measured a molecular marker of inflammation and scar formation in the central nervous system and found that it was reduced after one week of treatment.
A paper detailing the results will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Controlled Release
The nanowires are made of polypyrrole, a conductive polymer material that responds to electromagnetic fields. Wen Gao, a postdoctoral researcher in the Center for Paralysis Research who worked on the project with Borgens
grew the nanowires vertically over a thin gold base, like tiny fibers making up a piece of shag carpet hundreds of times smaller than a human cell.
The nanowires can be loaded with a drug and, when the correct electromagnetic field is applied, the nanowires release small amounts of the payload.
This process can be started and stopped at will, like flipping a switch, by using the corresponding electromagnetic field stimulating device,
Borgens said. The researchers captured and transported a patch of the nanowire carpet on water droplets that were used used to deliver it to the site of injury.
The nanowire patches adhere to the site of injury through surface tension Gao said. The magnitude and wave form of the electromagnetic field must be tuned to obtain the optimum release of the drug,
and the precise mechanisms that release the drug are understood not yet well, she said. The team is investigating the release process.
The electromagnetic field is likely affecting the interaction between the nanomaterial and the drug molecules, Borgens said."
"We think it is a combination of charge effects and the shape change of the polymer that allows it to store
and release drugs, "he said.""It is a reversible process. Once the electromagnetic field is removed, the polymer snaps back to the initial architecture
and retains the remaining drug molecules.""For each different drug the team would need to find the corresponding optimal electromagnetic field for its release,
Gao said. This study builds on previous work by Borgens and Gao. Gao first had to figure out how to grow polypyrrole in a long vertical architecture,
which allows it to hold larger amounts of a drug and extends the potential treatment period.
The team then demonstrated it could be manipulated to release dexamethasone on demand. A paper detailing the work, titled"Action at a Distance:
Functional Drug Delivery Using Electromagnetic field-Responsive Polypyrrole Nanowires, "was published in the journal Langmuir. Other team members involved in the research include John Cirillo,
who designed and constructed the electromagnetic field stimulating system; Youngnam Cho, a former faculty member at Purdue's Center for Paralysis Research;
and Jianming Li, a research assistant professor at the center. For the most recent study the team used mice that had been modified genetically such that the protein Glial fibrillary acidic protein,
or GFAP, is luminescent. GFAP is expressed in cells called astrocytes that gather in high numbers at central nervous system injuries.
Astrocytes are a part of the inflammatory process and form a scar tissue, Borgens said. A 1-2 millimeter patch of the nanowires doped with dexamethasone was placed onto spinal cord lesions that had been exposed surgically,
Borgens said. The lesions were closed then and an electromagnetic field was applied for two hours a day for one week.
By the end of the week the treated mice had a weaker GFAP signal than the control groups,
which included mice that were treated not and those that received a nanowire patch but were exposed not to the electromagnetic field.
In some cases, treated mice had no detectable GFAP signal. Whether the reduction in astrocytes had any significant impact on spinal cord healing
or functional outcomes was studied not. In addition, the concentration of drug maintained during treatment is known not
because it is below the limits of systemic detection, Borgens said.""This method allows a very,
very small dose of a drug to effectively serve as a big dose right where you need it,
"Borgens said.""By the time the drug diffuses from the site out into the rest of the body it is in amounts that are undetectable in the usual tests to monitor the concentration of drugs in the bloodstream."
"Polypyrrole is an inert and biocompatable material, but the team is working to create a biodegradeable form that would dissolve after the treatment period ended,
he said. The team also is trying to increase the depth at which the drug delivery device will work.
The current system appears to be limited to a depth in tissue of less than 3 centimeters,
###The research was funded through the general funds of the Center for Paralysis Research and an endowment from Mrs. Mari Hulman George. Borgens has a dual appointment in Purdue's College of Engineering and the College of Veterinary medicine.##
###For more information, please click herecontacts: Writer: Elizabeth K. Gardner765-494-2081writeemail('purdue. edu','ekgardner';
'Copyright Purdue Universityissuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
Cancer Nanometric sensor designed to detect herbicides can help diagnose multiple sclerosis June 23rd, 2015news and information Nanometric sensor designed to detect herbicides can help diagnose multiple sclerosis June 23rd, 2015sweeping lasers snap together nanoscale geometric grids:
New technique creates multilayered, self-assembled grids with fully customizable shapes and compositions June 23rd,
2015newly-Developed Biosensor in Iran Detects Cocaine addiction June 23rd, 2015university of Tehran to Host 12th Int'l Confab on Membrane Science, Technology (MST2015) June 23rd,
2015nanomedicine Nanoparticle'wrapper'delivers chemical that stops fatty buildup in rodent arteries Experimental therapy restores normal fat metabolism in animals with atherosclerosis June 23rd, 2015picosun ALD
breaks through in medical technology June 23rd, 2015nanometric sensor designed to detect herbicides can help diagnose multiple sclerosis June 23rd,
2015newly-Developed Biosensor in Iran Detects Cocaine addiction June 23rd, 2015discoveries Nanometric sensor designed to detect herbicides can help diagnose multiple sclerosis June 23rd, 2015sweeping lasers snap together nanoscale geometric grids:
New technique creates multilayered, self-assembled grids with fully customizable shapes and compositions June 23rd,
2015newly-Developed Biosensor in Iran Detects Cocaine addiction June 23rd, 2015iranian Scientists Design Nano Device to Detect Cyanogen Toxic Gas June 23rd,
2015announcements Nanometric sensor designed to detect herbicides can help diagnose multiple sclerosis June 23rd, 2015sweeping lasers snap together nanoscale geometric grids:
New technique creates multilayered, self-assembled grids with fully customizable shapes and compositions June 23rd,
2015newly-Developed Biosensor in Iran Detects Cocaine addiction June 23rd, 2015university of Tehran to Host 12th Int'l Confab on Membrane Science, Technology (MST2015) June 23rd,
2015interviews/Book reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers Nanoparticle'wrapper'delivers chemical that stops fatty buildup in rodent arteries Experimental therapy restores normal fat metabolism
in animals with atherosclerosis June 23rd, 2015toward tiny, solar-powered sensors: New ultralow-power circuit improves efficiency of energy harvesting to more than 80 percent June 23rd,
2015nanometric sensor designed to detect herbicides can help diagnose multiple sclerosis June 23rd, 2015iranian Scientists Design Nano Device to Detect Cyanogen Toxic Gas June 23rd,201 0
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