Light-activated Cells Makes Cells “Talk” to coordinate vital biological events such as muscle contraction, hormone release, neuronal stimulation, digestion, and immune activation is through calcium signaling. According to a new study published in Nature Nanotechnology, scientists at Rice University have used light-activated molecular machines to trigger intercellular calcium wave signals, revealing a powerful new mechanism for controlling cellular activity.
This technology could lead to better treatments for people, said Beckham, the head of the study. “This is the first demonstration that instead of chemical forces, you can use mechanical forces ⎯ induced, in this case, single-molecule nanomachines ⎯ to do the same thing, which opens up a whole new chapter in drug design.”
Scientists use tiny electrodes that spin when exposed to visible light to trigger a calcium signaling response in smooth muscle cells. We do not have the ability to control many of the muscles in our body: the heart is an involuntary muscle, but there is a smooth muscle that stretches our veins and arteries, controlling blood pressure and circulation; smooth muscles line our lungs and intestines and are involved in digestion and breathing.
The ability to interfere with these processes using stimuli that work at the molecular level could be a game changer. “Beckham showed that we can control, for example, cell signaling in the heart muscle, which is really interesting,” said James Tour, T.T. by Rice. by W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Materials Science and Nano-Engineering.
“If you stimulate one cell in the heart, it will spread the signal to neighboring cells, which means you can target, molecularly control heart function and possibly reduce arrhythmias,” Tour said. ,” Tour said. Being powered by a two-minute pulse, the molecular machine helped scientists control the calcium signal in the cell culture of cardiac myocytes, activating the sleeping cells.
“Those cells act like nano-defibrillators, allowing these heart muscle cells to start beating,” Beckham said. The ability to control cell-to-cell communication in tissues can be useful for the treatment of various diseases characterized by dysfunctional calcium.
“Many paraplegics have severe digestive problems,” Tour said. “It would be great if you could reduce these problems by making these nerves affected by the fire without any chemical help.”
The molecular-sized devices installed a calcium-based cell signaling system in the living tissue, triggering the entire contraction in the freshwater polyp, or Hydra vulgaris.
“This is the first example of taking a molecular machine and using it to control an entire functional organ,” Tour said. Cellular responses differed in the form and strength of the mechanical stimulus: fast, unidirectional movement increased the signal of intracellular calcium, while slow movement and multidirectional movement did not.
In addition, improving the power of the light allowed scientists to control the strength of the cellular response. “It’s a mechanism that works on a molecular scale,” said Tour. , we have complete spatial-temporal control of this cellular process.”
The simulation laboratory has shown in previous studies that light-activated microbeads can be used against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, cancer cells, and pathogenic fungi. “This project extends the power of these machines in a different way,” Beckham said. “What I love about our lab is that we are fearless when it comes to innovation and pursuing ambitious new projects and directions.”
“We are currently working on the development of a thermally active machine that has a good penetration depth to really make this research potential come to light. We also want to better understand the actuation at the molecular level of biological processes.
Source: Rice University
