Researcher’s at UCL have made mechanical force sensors in chicken embryos’ developing brains and spinal cords. This breakthrough, published in Nature Materials, aims to improve the understanding and prevention of congenital disabilities like spina bifida.
Using new biotechnologies, the study, in collaboration with the University of Padua and the Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, measures mechanical forces during embryo development. These forces are vital for forming organs and systems, such as the neural tube, which becomes the central nervous system.
Congenital spinal cord malformations affect about one in 2,000 newborns in Europe annually. Despite decades of research, these defects cannot be fully understood through molecular and genetic studies alone.
Researchers are now studying the physical forces in tissues during embryo development. This is difficult because the embryonic spinal cord is tiny and delicate. Measuring devices must also be small and soft to avoid disrupting growth.
To solve this, researchers 3D printed tiny force sensors (about 0.1mm wide) directly inside the developing nervous system of chicken embryos.
These sensors start as a liquid applied to the embryos. An intense laser turns the liquid into a spring-like solid that attaches to the growing spinal cord. The sensors deform with the forces produced by the embryo’s cells.
This allowed them to measure tiny forces, about a tenth of the weight of a human eyelash, necessary for forming the spinal cord. These forces must be stronger than the opposing hostile forces for normal development.
By quantifying these forces, researchers can explore drugs that increase positive forces or decrease negative ones to help prevent congenital disabilities like spina bifida. These drugs could complement folic acid, which is known to avoid developmental problems during pregnancy.
Lead author Dr. Eirini Maniou from UCL and the University of Padua said, “Using new biomaterials and advanced microscopy, this study marks a significant advancement in understanding embryonic development and mechanics. It opens the door to new prevention and treatment strategies for central nervous system malformations.”
The research also showed that the same technology could be used with human stem cells as they develop into spinal cord cells.
Researchers at UCL have developed tiny mechanical force sensors for chicken embryos’ developing brains and spinal cords. This breakthrough aims to improve understanding and prevent congenital disabilities like spina bifida.
Published in Nature Materials and collaboration with the University of Padua and VIMM, the study uses innovative biotechnologies to measure mechanical forces during embryo development. These forces are crucial for forming organs and systems, such as the neural tube, which becomes the central nervous system.
Around one in 2,000 newborns in Europe each year is affected by congenital spinal cord malformations. These defects cannot be fully explained by molecular and genetic studies alone.
Researchers are now studying physical forces in tissues during embryo development. Because the embryonic spinal cord is tiny and delicate, measuring devices must also be small and soft. To address this, researchers 3D printed tiny force sensors (about 0.1mm wide) inside the embryos.
The sensors start as a liquid and solidify when exposed to a laser. They attach to the spinal cord and deform with the forces produced by the embryo’s cells. This enabled the measurement of very small forces necessary for forming the spinal cord.
Understanding these forces can help researchers explore drugs that increase positive or decrease negative ones to prevent congenital disabilities. These drugs could complement the benefits of folic acid during pregnancy.
Dr. Eirini Maniou, lead author, said “the study uses new biomaterials and advanced microscopy, marking significant progress in understanding embryonic development. The technology could also be applied to human stem cells, aiding the comparison between healthy donors and patients with spina bifida to understand the condition.”
Co-senior author Dr. Gabriel Galea noted the technology’s versatility and broad applicability. Co-senior author Professor Nicola Elvassore emphasized that quantifying embryonic forces with precision represents a significant advancement in biomedical research.
Journal reference:
Eirini Maniou, Silvia Todros, et al., Quantifying mechanical forces during vertebrate morphogenesis. Nature Materials. DOI: 10.1038/s41563-024-01942-9.
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