UCLA scientists invent nanoparticle that could improve treatment for bone defects

In test with mice, the sterosome activated bone regeneration was activated without needing additional drugsBrianna Aldrich |April 22, 2020A team of biomaterials scientists and dentists at theUCLA School of Dentistry has developed a nanoparticle that, based on initial experiments in animals, could improve treatment for bone defects.A paper describing the advance is published today in the journal Science Advances. Bone defects, which can be caused by traumatic injury, infection, osteoporosis or the removal of tumors, are difficult for orthopedic surgeons to treat. And the need for bone grafts are becoming more common thanks in part to our aging population: Bone injuries are particularly prevalent among the elderly. Today, the standard treatment for bone defects is a bone graft, which involves transplanting healthy bone from another part of the body to repair the damaged area. However, the procedure can cause complications, including infections where the transplanted bone is taken from, bleeding and nerve damage. So the researchers turned their attention to liposomes, tiny spherical sacs that are derived from naturally existing lipids. Liposomes have been used since the 1990s to treat cancer and infectious diseases, and more recently they are being explored for their possible use in bone tissue engineering. They can be used to administer nutrients and pharmaceutical drugs in the body and can easily enter cells to administer their valuable cargo, but they do have some drawbacks: ...
Source: Dental Technology Blog - Category: Dentistry Source Type: news