Boron hydrogel heals torn muscles 2 times faster than natural regeneration

The boron-rich alginate hydrogel developed by the researchers can be administered subcutaneously. According to

tests carried out on animals, hydrogelis able to very quickly regenerate damaged muscle, in particular, in half the time required for its natural regeneration. The invention can also be used for the prevention and treatment of muscle atrophy associated with aging.

The main advantage of this biomaterialis to release boron. When released, it stimulates integrins, proteins that are present in all cells of the body and play a fundamental role in the adhesion of cells to the extracellular matrix, which promotes proper tissue formation.

According to scientists, simultaneous stimulationintegrins that bind fibronectin and boron ion transporter (NaBC1) significantly improve muscle regeneration at the anatomical level. This is because it induces more and larger adhesions in undifferentiated muscle cells that are involved in muscle regeneration after injury. This leads to the formation of differentiated muscle tubes, which are necessary for the proper creation of new regenerating muscle fibers.

“In the tests that we carried out in ourIn laboratories after acute trauma with cardiotoxin (cobra snake venom) in mice, NaBC1 activation accelerated muscle regeneration. We confirmed this by adding boron to damaged muscle cells, their adhesion level increased, and now they stick together faster and more reliably, allowing muscles to regenerate in a shorter period of time, ”says Dr. Patricia Rico, researcher at the Center for Biomaterials and Tissues. Developed by the Polytechnic University of Valencia.

This work offers a simple and new wayachieving muscle regeneration through the interaction between specific receptors on the cell membrane. “If, for example, it takes 30 days for a second degree fibrillar rupture to heal, using our hydrogel reduces the recovery time to 15 days,” adds Patricia Rico.

Dr. Rico's team is currently workingis working to study the use of this new biomaterial to treat muscular dystrophies such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare inherited disease that affects 1 in 100,000 children.

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