Pain Relief Technology
A few years ago, in the journal Nature Biotechnology, published report in which the researchers talked about the successes of optogenetics. This is the name of the technique for studying the work of nerve cells by introducing opsins into the membrane – special receptors that respond to excitation by light.
Scientists have created tiny implants that can deliver light to any part of the human body. Researchers believe that the new device can save a person from chronic pain. This is especially important for patients who are already refractory to other treatments. Light-activated neurons can block the pain signal before it even reaches the brain.
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First, scientists create a genetic construct that contains the gene that codes for the opsin. Opsin is a light-sensitive protein-coupled receptor. A similar one is found in the human retina. The combination of genes is inserted into the genome of a virus that is safe for the human body. It is injected into the brain of an experimental mouse.
The virus, penetrating into the desired neurons, begins protein synthesis. Finally, you need to connect an optical fiber to the selected area on the head of the animal. The alternation of the light signal stimulates the work of the protein in a new place. The protein has a new role – an ion channel in the cell membrane, which opens at the right time.
Experiments conducted on mice have shown that when a group of neurons is exposed to CeAga, the perception of several types of pain is turned off at once. During the research process, experts checked optogenetic method using a light pain impulse on experimental mice. When the neuron was illuminated, the “pain behavior” of the mice instantly turned off – they stopped rubbing their faces with their paws and licking their lips. When CeAga stimulation was weakened, this behavior returned again.
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Although the method has not been finalized, neuroscientists advise delving into research, because they contribute not only to the study of brain regions, but also the ability to manage memories.
A technological approach to pain relief was also proposed by American scientists from Northwestern University. They are presented an implant capable of cooling the nerves to block acute pain, such as amputation.
The device consists of a pump, an elastic polymer implant and an external control system. The polymer contains a set of small channels that are cuffed around the target nerve. Cooling agent in liquid form and dry nitrogen pass along the path of the implant, the liquid evaporates, causing the temperature to drop. The whole process is monitored by an electronic sensor. This makes it possible to control the flow and ensure a stable temperature on the nerve. At this time, the patient feels numbness of the limb.
This approach is good because, unlike drug anesthesia, it does not cause addiction in the body. In addition, after use, the implant is destroyed in the body for several months due to biocompatible and water-soluble components.
The disadvantage of the method is that those types of fibers that are associated with muscles and touch are also blocked. There is a possibility of acquiring muscle weakness. At this stage, it is expected to be able to test the device in humans.
Universal Blood
In the future, you won’t have to remember what your blood type is: it can be replaced with the universal O (I) Rh-. Canadian scientists of the team of Marcelo Saipel, professor at the University of Toronto, in collaboration with colleagues from hospitals and educational institutions in Canada developed a method that can fundamentally change the situation with donated blood.
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To date, doctors use only compatible groups for blood transfusions and organ transplants. The blood group depends on antigens on the surface of red blood cells. The blood of group II has antigen A, group III – antigen B, group IV has both antigens – AB, and in the blood of group I there is not a single one. And it can be considered universal. If the antigens are foreign to the body, they are capable of inducing an immune response.
Specialists from Canada have learned how to change donor blood of any group for the first. With the help of enzymes, it was cleared of 97% of antigens. After that, the researchers compared the processed samples with the blood of the first group and found that the difference is minimal. Such a discovery will help create a “universal” blood suitable for all who need it.
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The method was tested on donor lungs with I blood group. They were placed in a system with artificial blood pumping for preservation. One organ received liquid with the addition of substances that change the blood type, and the second lung received ordinary blood. After that, the doctors simulated the conditions for placing the lungs in the body of a person with an unacceptable blood type. As a result, the second lung did not take root. With the first one, everything is in order, since most of the antigens are gone.
The authors of the new method plan to conduct clinical trials in the near future and in the future prepare donor organs for transplantation to a patient, regardless of his blood type.
Replacing donor blood of any type with the first will create a bank of universal organs, which will help save more lives. After all, the duration of waiting for a patient with the first blood group, for example, a lung transplant, increases the risk of mortality by 20%, compared with patients of the second or third group.
In Russia, the number of transplants is increasing – about 2-2.5 thousand per year. Such assistance is already available in 40 regions of the country, but patients wait months and even years for donor organs. Even in Moscow, you can wait about 3-4 months for a heart, and up to a year and a half for a kidney. Domestic transplantologists considerthat Russia needs 10 times more transplants than it does now.