14 DAY TRIAL // Scientists with the College of Pharmacy at the University of Iowa announce the development of a biopatch that can be successfully used to replace or regenerate damaged or missing bones. The work could pave the way for new types of treatment for a variety of diseases affecting the skeletal system.
The patch comes in the shape of a collagen platform filled with nanoscale particles that contain DNA and genes needed for the production of bone tissue. In effect, the patch can promote this process by literally inserting the correct instructions into every cell around the affected area.
“We delivered the DNA to the cells, so that the cells produce the protein and that’s how the protein is generated to enhance bone regeneration,” says UICP professor Aliasger Salem. He adds that the patch releases the nanoparticles over time, eliminating the need for multiple injections.
The expert says that each collagen platform can be tailored to the exact dimensions of the bone fragment that needs replacing. Salem was a co-corresponding author on the new paper describing the biopatch, which was published in a recent issue of the scientific journal Biomaterials, Science Blog reports.