- Email: [email protected]
Even while sleeping, newborns can learn
SPOHLER/LAIF/CAMERAPRESS
IN BRIEF Newborns can learn in their sleep
‘Human Lego’ may one day build artificial organs BUILDING artificial tissue could become child’s play, if Lego-like blocks made of human cells can be assembled into working organs. So far the blocks have been used to build a variety of living 3D shapes that have never before been created on a cell-by-cell basis, such as tubes and solid spheres. The hope is that the bricks will be used to construct artificial tissues for human implantation. Javier Fernandez and Ali Khademhosseini at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology built the “human Lego” by dipping cells cultured from liver tumours into a polymer called polyethylene glycol (PEG). The parcel was
then hardened, or baked, with UV light to form bricks. Another coating of PEG made the bricks sticky, and they were placed in a mold. To fill any gaps, the whole structure was dunked in PEG a final time and irradiated once more (Advanced Materials, DOI: 10.1002/adma.200903893). Despite being trapped and baked within a polymer, cell staining shows that the cultured cells remained alive, says Fernandez, an obvious necessity if they are to be used for artificial tissues. Other attempts to produce 3D cellular structures have failed because cells don’t stick to each other, says Fernandez. PEG overcomes this problem. It’s a nice idea, says Emmanuel Reynaud of University College Dublin in Ireland, but a polymer is not a tissue. The individual live cells are not communicating, and “cells in a tissue have to communicate with each other”.
Mantle has diamond superhighways
`lkq^fkbop^kajb^probaeltc^pq fqabdo^aba^pqebqbjmbo^qrob^ka B>OQEÑPfkpfabpj^vjlsb^q^ pmbba^qdob^qabmqept^prk`ib^o+ mobpprobtbobiltboba)pfjri^qfkd `obbm)_rqaf^jlkapofabqebc^pq KltJ^p^vrhfKfpef^ka ^p`bkqqeolrdeB^oqeÑpj^kqib+ qo^`h+Af^jlka*fkcrpbaj^dj^ `liib^drbp^qHvrperRkfsbopfqv Qebo^qblcab`^vprddbpqba j^vwlljrmt^oapcoljabbm fkCrhrlh^)G^m^k)e^sbrpbaqeb qe^qclo^d^okbq*fkcrpbaaf^jlka tfqefkqebmi^kbq^q^_ifpqbofkd jfkbo^id^okbq^p^pmbbaljbqbo+ qlob^`eqebproc^`bfqjrpq 3-hfiljbqobpmboelro+ D^okbqfk`irpflkpqe^qclojfkpfab q^hb_bqtbbkelrop^kaa^vpql Ofpfkdj^dj^fkB^oqeÑpj^kqib af^jlka^obpq^_ib^qabmqeplc qo^sbicolj^abmqelc1--hj+ fpqelrdeqql^p`bka^qgrpq^cbt _bqtbbk1--^ka4--hfiljbqobp) Î>o^mfa^p`bkqjb`e^kfpj `bkqfjbqobpmbovb^o+Fqt^phkltk _rqm^oqf^iivabdo^ab^qiltbo j^vbufpq^qdob^qboabmqep qe^qhfj_boifqb)tef`elcqbk mobpprobp^kaqbjmbo^qrobp+ qe^kbsboqelrdeq)Ïp^vpKfpef `lkq^fkpaf^jlkap)`^kofpbjlob KfpefÑpqb^jpvkqebpfpba %Dblmevpf`^iObpb^o`eIbqqbop) nrf`hivkb^oqebproc^`b)_rqfqp d^okbqfkeb^qba)mobpprofpba ALF7.-+.-/6,/-.-DI-1/4-3&+ 18 | NewScientist | 22 May 2010
ALKÑQibq^alwfkd_^_vÑppbobkfqv cllivlr+>pqebvpibbm)kbt_lokp pl^hrmfkcloj^qflk)pmbbafkd qebfo^agrpqjbkqqlifcbburqbol+ Tfiif^jCfcbo^qqebAbm^oqjbkq lcMpv`ef^qov^q@lirj_f^ RkfsbopfqvfkKbtVloh)^ka `liib^drbp)mi^vba_bbmpql /3pibbmfkd_^_fbp^dba_bqtbbk .-^ka40elroplia+B^`e_bbmt^p cliiltba_v^krkmib^p^kqmrcclc ^foqlqebbvbifa+>cqbo/-jfkrqbp) qebpibbmfkdfkc^kqptbobclro qfjbp^pifhbivqlcifk`e^cqbo^ _bbmabifsbobatfqelrq^k^fomrcc ^ptebkqebv_bd^k)fkaf`^qfkd qe^qqebve^aib^okbaql^ppl`f^qb qebqtlfkqebfopibbm+P`^im bib`qolabpob`loaba^`qfsfqvfkqeb mobcolkq^i`loqbu)tef`efpfkslisba fkjbjlov%Mol`bbafkdplcqeb K^qflk^i>`^abjvlcP`fbk`bp) ALF7.-+.-40,mk^p+.--2-3..-4&+ ÎQebvÑob_bqqbo^qpmlkdfkd rma^q^qe^ktbqelrdeq)Ïp^vp `l*obpb^o`eboA^k^?voa^qqeb RkfsbopfqvlcCilofa^fkD^fkbpsfiib+
Is nasal spray the answer to MRSA? E>OJIBPP_^`qbof^coljmblmibÑp klpbp`lriatfmblrqJOP>+Qeb fab^fpql^mmivqebcofbkaiv_rdp fk^k^p^ipmo^vqljfjf`qeb fjjrkfqvtef`e^iiltpjlpq lcrptel^obkÑqpf`hqlcfdeqlcc qebprmbo_rd+ Q^h^vrhfFt^pb^ka`liib^drbp ^qGfhbfRkfsbopfqvfkQlhvl)G^m^k) p^vPq^mevil`l``rpbmfabojfafp `^ktfmblrq`lilkfbplc jbqef`fiifk*obpfpq^kqP+^robrp %JOP>&fkqebi^_+@or`f^iiv)clo qebpmo^vmi^k)P+bmfabojfafp^ipl `ib^obaloafk^ovP+^robrpfk^ _^`qbof^iÎqroct^oÏfkqebklpb+ Qebcofbkaiv_rdplrpqqebfo ofs^iptfqeqebebimlc^kbkwvjb `^iibaBpm%K^qrob)ALF7.-+.-05, k^qrob-6-41&+FqÑpmlppf_ibbfqebo qebbkwvjb)loifsbP+bmfabojfp) `lria_brpbafkelpmfq^ip+
IN BRIEF Newborns can learn in their sleep
‘Human Lego’ may one day build artificial organs BUILDING artificial tissue could become child’s play, if Lego-like blocks made of human cells can be assembled into working organs. So far the blocks have been used to build a variety of living 3D shapes that have never before been created on a cell-by-cell basis, such as tubes and solid spheres. The hope is that the bricks will be used to construct artificial tissues for human implantation. Javier Fernandez and Ali Khademhosseini at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology built the “human Lego” by dipping cells cultured from liver tumours into a polymer called polyethylene glycol (PEG). The parcel was
then hardened, or baked, with UV light to form bricks. Another coating of PEG made the bricks sticky, and they were placed in a mold. To fill any gaps, the whole structure was dunked in PEG a final time and irradiated once more (Advanced Materials, DOI: 10.1002/adma.200903893). Despite being trapped and baked within a polymer, cell staining shows that the cultured cells remained alive, says Fernandez, an obvious necessity if they are to be used for artificial tissues. Other attempts to produce 3D cellular structures have failed because cells don’t stick to each other, says Fernandez. PEG overcomes this problem. It’s a nice idea, says Emmanuel Reynaud of University College Dublin in Ireland, but a polymer is not a tissue. The individual live cells are not communicating, and “cells in a tissue have to communicate with each other”.
Mantle has diamond superhighways
`lkq^fkbop^kajb^probaeltc^pq fqabdo^aba^pqebqbjmbo^qrob^ka B>OQEÑPfkpfabpj^vjlsb^q^ pmbba^qdob^qabmqept^prk`ib^o+ mobpprobtbobiltboba)pfjri^qfkd `obbm)_rqaf^jlkapofabqebc^pq KltJ^p^vrhfKfpef^ka ^p`bkqqeolrdeB^oqeÑpj^kqib+ qo^`h+Af^jlka*fkcrpbaj^dj^ `liib^drbp^qHvrperRkfsbopfqv Qebo^qblcab`^vprddbpqba j^vwlljrmt^oapcoljabbm fkCrhrlh^)G^m^k)e^sbrpbaqeb qe^qclo^d^okbq*fkcrpbaaf^jlka tfqefkqebmi^kbq^q^_ifpqbofkd jfkbo^id^okbq^p^pmbbaljbqbo+ qlob^`eqebproc^`bfqjrpq 3-hfiljbqobpmboelro+ D^okbqfk`irpflkpqe^qclojfkpfab q^hb_bqtbbkelrop^kaa^vpql Ofpfkdj^dj^fkB^oqeÑpj^kqib af^jlka^obpq^_ib^qabmqeplc qo^sbicolj^abmqelc1--hj+ fpqelrdeqql^p`bka^qgrpq^cbt _bqtbbk1--^ka4--hfiljbqobp) Î>o^mfa^p`bkqjb`e^kfpj `bkqfjbqobpmbovb^o+Fqt^phkltk _rqm^oqf^iivabdo^ab^qiltbo j^vbufpq^qdob^qboabmqep qe^qhfj_boifqb)tef`elcqbk mobpprobp^kaqbjmbo^qrobp+ qe^kbsboqelrdeq)Ïp^vpKfpef `lkq^fkpaf^jlkap)`^kofpbjlob KfpefÑpqb^jpvkqebpfpba %Dblmevpf`^iObpb^o`eIbqqbop) nrf`hivkb^oqebproc^`b)_rqfqp d^okbqfkeb^qba)mobpprofpba ALF7.-+.-/6,/-.-DI-1/4-3&+ 18 | NewScientist | 22 May 2010
ALKÑQibq^alwfkd_^_vÑppbobkfqv cllivlr+>pqebvpibbm)kbt_lokp pl^hrmfkcloj^qflk)pmbbafkd qebfo^agrpqjbkqqlifcbburqbol+ Tfiif^jCfcbo^qqebAbm^oqjbkq lcMpv`ef^qov^q@lirj_f^ RkfsbopfqvfkKbtVloh)^ka `liib^drbp)mi^vba_bbmpql /3pibbmfkd_^_fbp^dba_bqtbbk .-^ka40elroplia+B^`e_bbmt^p cliiltba_v^krkmib^p^kqmrcclc ^foqlqebbvbifa+>cqbo/-jfkrqbp) qebpibbmfkdfkc^kqptbobclro qfjbp^pifhbivqlcifk`e^cqbo^ _bbmabifsbobatfqelrq^k^fomrcc ^ptebkqebv_bd^k)fkaf`^qfkd qe^qqebve^aib^okbaql^ppl`f^qb qebqtlfkqebfopibbm+P`^im bib`qolabpob`loaba^`qfsfqvfkqeb mobcolkq^i`loqbu)tef`efpfkslisba fkjbjlov%Mol`bbafkdplcqeb K^qflk^i>`^abjvlcP`fbk`bp) ALF7.-+.-40,mk^p+.--2-3..-4&+ ÎQebvÑob_bqqbo^qpmlkdfkd rma^q^qe^ktbqelrdeq)Ïp^vp `l*obpb^o`eboA^k^?voa^qqeb RkfsbopfqvlcCilofa^fkD^fkbpsfiib+
Is nasal spray the answer to MRSA? E>OJIBPP_^`qbof^coljmblmibÑp klpbp`lriatfmblrqJOP>+Qeb fab^fpql^mmivqebcofbkaiv_rdp fk^k^p^ipmo^vqljfjf`qeb fjjrkfqvtef`e^iiltpjlpq lcrptel^obkÑqpf`hqlcfdeqlcc qebprmbo_rd+ Q^h^vrhfFt^pb^ka`liib^drbp ^qGfhbfRkfsbopfqvfkQlhvl)G^m^k) p^vPq^mevil`l``rpbmfabojfafp `^ktfmblrq`lilkfbplc jbqef`fiifk*obpfpq^kqP+^robrp %JOP>&fkqebi^_+@or`f^iiv)clo qebpmo^vmi^k)P+bmfabojfafp^ipl `ib^obaloafk^ovP+^robrpfk^ _^`qbof^iÎqroct^oÏfkqebklpb+ Qebcofbkaiv_rdplrpqqebfo ofs^iptfqeqebebimlc^kbkwvjb `^iibaBpm%K^qrob)ALF7.-+.-05, k^qrob-6-41&+FqÑpmlppf_ibbfqebo qebbkwvjb)loifsbP+bmfabojfp) `lria_brpbafkelpmfq^ip+