Researchers at Northwestern University, United States, have created a nanomaterial that could help the body grow new blood vessels. The regeneration of blood vessels is important in the aftermath of a heart attack, for peripheral arterial disease, and to ensure that transplanted organs receive a sufficient supply of blood. The nanomaterial is a liquid that, when injected into patients, forms a matrix of loosely tangled nanofibers. Each fiber is covered in microscopic protuberances that mimic vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, which is a protein that occurs naturally in the body and causes chemical reactions that result in the growth of new blood vessels. The new nanomaterial lasts long enough to do its job, and is completely biodegradable once finished. Tests of the material on mice found that the nanofiber rescued limbs to which the blood supply was restricted, and resulted in better motor function and blood circulation than other treatments. According to Samuel Stupp, director of the Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine at Northwestern, “The next step is to proceed with extensive toxicological testing. The long view would be to produce a cell-free, growth factor-free therapy for the treatment of ischemic disease and heart attacks.”

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/38206/