In the March 28 issue of Science, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) grantees and colleagues report their initial success creating unique, self-sealing, macroscopic sacs and membranes. These nanotype materials in theory could be used to encapsulate stem cells, small molecules, or other therapeutics. As envisioned, they could be placed in the body without immune detection, reach a tissue of interest, quickly biodegrade, and release their biologic cargo, which may include nanostructures targeted to other specific locations. These structures form via a dynamic synergy between a megadalton-scale polymer and other self-assembling small molecules with an opposite electrical charge. The resulting closed sacs have a highly organized molecular architecture; in fact, as the membrane grows, its nanofiber bundles align and reorient by nearly 90°. They noted, “…ordered thick membranes could be molecularly customized to possess desired physical or bioactive functions. An interesting possibility is to design similar systems in organic solvents for nonbiologic applications.”
(Source: NIDCR, April 25, 2008)
