Carbon nanotubes have very interesting mechanical and electrical properties. These tiny cylindrical structures, made up of a network of atoms of this element arranged in a hexagonal shape, are not only extremely hard and flexible, but they also conduct heat and electricity very well. Now, a team of researchers has devised a way to harness them to build a hybrid system that, using biological and synthetic elements, could make it possible to re-establish connections between nerve cells in damaged tissues , for example after a spinal cord injury.
In a study published in the journal Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine , a multidisciplinary group of scientists from various institutions – among them the Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials, CIC biomaGUNE, and the Basque Foundation for Science – has observed that this type Nanomaterials can regulate the formation of synapses , the region in which information is transmitted between neurons, and modulate certain biological mechanisms, such as the growth of the latter. In a statement, these experts emphasize that the integration between cells and synthetic structures allows us to glimpse the enormous potential that carbon nanotubes have to facilitate, for example, neuronal regeneration .
In essence, it would be about building an artificial bridge between groups of neurons in which the connections have been interrupted. Nanomaterials would function as a neural prosthesis : on the one hand, they would serve as scaffolding for cells; on the other, as an interface that would favor communications. According to the note, the first in vivo tests are already being carried out and the results seem promising.
The researchers warn, however, that there are still many issues to address, such as the impact of these structures on neuronal physiology or whether they remain stable over time. For now, they have found that they do not interfere with the lipids that make up the cell membrane, compounds that play a very important role in the transmission of nerve signals . Also, they facilitate neuronal development and the formation of new synapses, and highlight the adaptability and mechanical compatibility of these nanotubes with tissues.
