The first nano-computer made of modified proteins is ready: for now it is able to direct cells making them change position and orientation in space, but in the future it could make possible the development of new generation cell therapies for various diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, infections and nerve injuries. The result, published in the journal Science Advances, was obtained at the American State University of Pennsylvania and is a first step towards the ability to modify much more important behaviors of cells, such as the expressed genes and the efficacy of immune cells against tumors .
Traditional approaches to cell therapies, such as those aimed at destroying cancer cells or regenerating damaged tissue, rely on the production or suppression of proteins that perform the desired task. The researchers led by Nikolay Dokholyan and Jiaxing Chen, on the other hand, have chosen a different path: “We modify proteins so that they act directly in the way we want”, explains Dokholyan; “Our nano-computers respond directly to stimuli and produce the desired action.”
To do this, the study authors integrated two sensors into the protein that respond to two different stimuli: light and a drug called rapamycin. The result depends on the order in which the cells receive these two signals: if rapamycin is detected first and then light, the cell will orient itself in space with a certain angle, while if the stimuli are received in the reverse order, the displacement will be different . According to Chen, this first test opens the door to the development of much more complex protein-based nano-computers: “Theoretically, the more signals you incorporate into the nano-computer, the more results you can obtain thanks to the different combinations.”
Source: Ansa
I am a journalist with over 6 years of experience working in the news industry. I currently work as an author for Global Happenings, and my coverage focuses on Technology news. I have written for various publications, including Reuters, The New York Times and The Guardian.
