A team of scientists at Rice University in the United States has created an electromagnetic material that can be used to repair nerves.
The material consists of a piezoelectric layer of lead zirconate titanate sandwiched between two layers of metallic glass alloy that can be rapidly magnetized and demagnetized.
This technology allows the magnetic field to be converted into electrical at a speed 120 times faster than the materials currently used.
Rice University researchers expect to use this technology in the future by stimulating nerves instead of implanting a device, as injecting a small amount of electromagnetic material will be sufficient to stimulate nerve cells.
The researchers suggest using this material for precise stimulation of nerve cells from a distance. This method was successfully tested on mice, and their sciatic nerve was repaired.
A nerve is defined as an internal bundle of fine hairs connected via nerve axons, responsible for transmitting signals between the central nervous system and various organs, while the efferent nerves transmit signals from the central nervous system to the various muscles and glands.
Nerve hairs are composed of the axons of nerve cells (neurons), while the nerve cell body itself is located within the central nervous system, or in nerve clusters known as ganglia.
A research team from the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Oxford used silk as a promising material to repair severed nerves in April 2023.
In their experiments with silk from silkworms and spiders, scientists also gained new information regarding the effect of silk on neurological healing processes. This study could provide new treatment options for peripheral nerve reconstruction.
“In our study, it was shown that the peripheral nerves work well when these threads are made of silk, with a preference for using spider silk for guidance,” said researcher Lorenz Selmer from the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Medical University of Vienna. Therefore, the research team is already working on the next step to explore the possibility of using spider silk in the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries.
2023-10-15 14:40:40
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