Will Nanotechnology Fix My Brain?

An article we received from Healthday today says neuroscientists and bioengineers at MIT have used nanotechnology to partially restore sight in experimental hamsters by restoring neural pathways in their brains. (See "Nanotechnology May Repair Damaged Brains.")

Today's article says the experimenters injected the rodents with peptides, or protein fragments, to grow "an extremely tiny biodegradable scaffold that provides brain cells with a place to re-grow -- like a vine on a trellis -- in the damaged area of the brain." Scientists involved with the project hope this method can eventually be used in humans.

AB -- 3/14/06

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March 14, 2006 4:07 PM |