The new material has been developed by the University of the Basque Country and promises to speed healing times from fractures
Healing from a fracture will always be faster and painless. After the invention of the 3D-printed cubic structure, which helps the reproduction of bone and soft tissue, a new invention comes to help medicine. The Universiy of the Basque Country has published a new interesting research on a new material based on silk and magnetic particles. The results of the studies are analyzed into details with a paper published on the journal Materialia.
The invention is a step ahead of the 3D scaffolding mentioned before. The structure helps the migration of new cells and over time is incorporated into the new bone or metabolized by the body. The speed with which the new tissue is formed is a fundamental aspect that can still be improved. Scientists have therefore produced a material consisting of a biocompatible protein derived from silk, known as fibroin, and magnetic nanoparticles.
When an external magnetic field is applied, the nanoparticles respond to the field and begin to vibrate. Their movement, transmitted to the entire structure, stimulates the cell migration process and speeds tissue healing. The first results have been very encouraging and the research team is already looking forward. The goal is to use patients’ stem cells to further improve healing and to apply the same principle to tissues such as muscles and heart.