Credit: Bioactive materials (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2024.04.006
A research team at the Technical University of Denmark, led by Alireza Dolatshahi-Pirouz, has recently made advances in tissue engineering and cell therapy by harnessing the healing power of bacteria.
The group exploited the native biomanufacturing capabilities of bacteria to synthesize a novel biopolymer with healing properties. They used this polymer to manufacture a durable, resilient and elastic hydrogel for muscle tissue regeneration.
The study is published in the journal Bioactive materials and details a new biopolymer, pantothenic methacrylate, or PAMA, with muscle-regenerating properties derived from bacteria.
The team implemented this novel hydrogel, or “bactogel,” to treat muscle injuries in rats with promising results. The in vivo study showed a significant increase in muscle tissue formation and a reduction in fibrous tissue. With nearly 100% mechanical recovery, good biocompatibility, and good healing capacity, PAMA bactogel opens a new avenue in this field.
“This combination of feats is rarely encountered in the field, as most bioactive hydrogels exhibit below-average mechanical properties that do not match the mechanically demanding environment of musculoskeletal tissues, such as muscles,” says Associate Professor Dolatshahi-Pirouz of DTU Health Tech.
“I believe our new findings could lead to better therapies for musculoskeletal injuries in athletes, the elderly, as well as wounded soldiers or others involved in accidents resulting in traumatic muscle injuries,”
With PAMA, the team showed they could achieve tissue regeneration in rats without using cells, and they expect much better healing by combining their bactogels with muscle progenitor cells or stem cells.
“I envision a future where bacteria-derived polymers, or simply ‘bactomers,’ would revolutionize the field of regenerative medicine. A future where bacteria in so-called regenerative bacto-baths secrete regenerative bactomers on demand to heal injured tissues in patients,” Dolatshahi-Pirouz says.
More information:
Seyyed Vahid Niknezhad et al., Enhancing recovery from volumetric muscle loss (VML) in a rat model using ultra-durable bacteria-derived hydrogels, Bioactive materials (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2024.04.006
Provided by Technical University of Denmark
Quote:New bacteria-derived hydrogel shows promise for muscle tissue regeneration (2024, August 19) retrieved August 19, 2024, from
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without written permission. The content is provided for informational purposes only.
