A new device, a chip essentially the size of a fingernail, can repair damaged organs in seconds, heralding a major advance in medicine science.
Developed at the University of Ohio, it is named Tissue Nanotransfection (TNT) or in free Greek translation tissue micro-transplantation, and uses a small chip silicone-sized coins that "inject" genetic code into skin cells, promoting their conversion from one species to another.
During the initial phase of testing, researchers were able to reprogram skin cells into vascular cells in a mouse that had a badly injured leg with no blood flow. Within a week active blood vessels appeared around the leg and within two weeks the leg was fully restored. Also a mouse that had suffered a stroke was rehabilitated, suggesting that the technology it can be applied to organs and nerve cells as well as tissues. It is the first time that cells have been reprogrammed into a living organism.
The technology weighs less than 100 grams and has a long life. It is completely non-invasive (without surgery or microsurgery) - the genetic code is delivered to the device with a small electrical charge that is barely perceptible to the patient - and the procedure can be performed without access to a laboratory or hospital. This means that it will have a significant impact on the lives of those involved in medical emergencies where time is of the essence, such as car accident victims and soldiers injured in battle. It is awaiting approval from the US FDA, but researchers expect human trials to begin within a year.
