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Tracy Hampton, PhD

JAMA. 2007;297:31.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

A novel technology using tiny "nanofibers" shows promise for helping the body repair and restore tissue damaged through injury or disease, including brain trauma, according to new research (Ellis-Behnke RG et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006;103:5054-5059). The same material applied to a wound may also help surgeons stanch bleeding within seconds.

The nanoscale fibers are composed of peptides that self-assemble into a fibrous mesh that mimics the natural connective tissue of the body's extracellular matrix. "The peptide nanofiber scaffold not only represents a previously undiscovered nanobiomedical technology for tissue repair and restoration but also raises the possibility of effective treatment of [central nervous system] and other tissue or organ trauma," the researchers noted.

Nanoscale fibers that can halt blood loss and help repair injured nerves may have potential for healing damaged or diseased tissues. (Photo credit: Rutledge G. Ellis-Behnke, PhD)

NEURON REPAIR

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