NPL Models The Extracellular Matrix
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Scientists at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have created a useful model of the native extracellular matrix that gives structural support to cells to help growth and proliferation. The model could lead on to advances in regenerative drugs.
The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides the physical and chemical conditions that enable the event of all biological tissues. it's a fancy nano-to-microscale structure created from protein fibres and is a dynamic substrate that supports tissue repair and regeneration.
Man-made structures designed to mimic and replace the native matrix in broken or diseased tissues are highly wanted to advance our understanding of tissue organisation and to form regenerative drugs a reality.
Self-assembling peptide fibres that have similar properties to those of the native matrices are of specific interest. However, these near-crystalline nanostructures fail to rearrange themselves into interconnected meshes at the microscopic scale, that is important for bringing cells along and supporting tissue development.
To solve this downside, a quest team at NPL designed alittle protein consisting of 2 complementary domains (structural units) that promote the formation of highly branched networks of fibres that span microscopic dimensions. The team showed that the created matrix is extremely economical in supporting cell attachment, growth and proliferation.
Max Ryadnov, the lead researcher at NPL, said: "The extracellular matrix may be a cellular "scaffolding", that provides necessary signalling setting for cell growth and development into tissues and might facilitate to heal wounds and alternative broken tissues. Therefore, extracellular mimetics like one developed by NPL may be helpful for the progress of regenerative drugs."
This analysis is an element of the NPL-led international analysis project, 'Multiscale measurements in biophysical systems', that is jointly funded by NPL and also the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance.
The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides the physical and chemical conditions that enable the event of all biological tissues. it's a fancy nano-to-microscale structure created from protein fibres and is a dynamic substrate that supports tissue repair and regeneration.
Man-made structures designed to mimic and replace the native matrix in broken or diseased tissues are highly wanted to advance our understanding of tissue organisation and to form regenerative drugs a reality.
Self-assembling peptide fibres that have similar properties to those of the native matrices are of specific interest. However, these near-crystalline nanostructures fail to rearrange themselves into interconnected meshes at the microscopic scale, that is important for bringing cells along and supporting tissue development.
To solve this downside, a quest team at NPL designed alittle protein consisting of 2 complementary domains (structural units) that promote the formation of highly branched networks of fibres that span microscopic dimensions. The team showed that the created matrix is extremely economical in supporting cell attachment, growth and proliferation.
Max Ryadnov, the lead researcher at NPL, said: "The extracellular matrix may be a cellular "scaffolding", that provides necessary signalling setting for cell growth and development into tissues and might facilitate to heal wounds and alternative broken tissues. Therefore, extracellular mimetics like one developed by NPL may be helpful for the progress of regenerative drugs."
This analysis is an element of the NPL-led international analysis project, 'Multiscale measurements in biophysical systems', that is jointly funded by NPL and also the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance.
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