(Funded by the National Institutes of Health)
A new study by Brown University researchers suggests that gold nanoparticles might one day be used to help restore vision in people with macular degeneration and other retinal disorders. The researchers showed that nanoparticles injected into the retina can successfully stimulate the visual system and restore vision in mice with retinal disorders. The findings suggest that a new type of visual prosthesis system in which nanoparticles, used in combination with a small laser device worn in a pair of glasses or goggles, might one day help people with retinal disorders to see again. The experiments showed that neither the nanoparticle solution nor the laser stimulation caused detectable adverse side effects, as indicated by metabolic markers for inflammation and toxicity.

(Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation)
Researchers from The State University of New York, Buffalo; St. Bonaventure University; and Stony Brook University have created a molecular nanocage that captures the bulk of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in water – and it works better than traditional filtering techniques that use activated carbon. Made of an organic nanoporous material designed to capture only PFAS, this tiny chemical-based filtration system removed 80% of PFAS from sewage and 90% of PFAS groundwater, while showing very low adverse environmental effects. PFAS are chemical compounds sometimes called “forever chemicals” and are commonly used in food packaging and nonstick coatings.

(Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation)
Monitoring pressure inside the skull is key to treating traumatic brain injuries and preventing long-lasting complications, but most of the monitoring devices are large and invasive. Now, researchers from Georgia Tech and Louisiana State University, along with international collaborators, have created a nanosensor made from ultra-thin, flexible silicone that can be embedded in a catheter. Once the catheter is in a patient’s skull, the nanosensor can continuously gather data at a more sensitive rate than traditional devices. With this nanosensor, even the smallest pressure changes could alert clinicians that further treatment is needed.

(Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. National Science Foundation)
Scientists at Penn State have developed a new design for thermogels – materials that can be injected as a liquid and turn into a solid inside our bodies – that further improves these materials’ properties. The newly designed thermogels are made with nanoparticles that have sticky spots, similar to arms reaching out and giving the nanoparticles places to connect with one another and form a structure. The method may be especially appealing for soft tissue reconstruction, in which case thermogels could serve as structures that provide a framework for cells to stick to and form new, healthy tissue.

(Funded by the National Institutes of Health)
Oregon State University researchers have discovered a way to get anti-inflammatory medicine across the blood-brain barrier, opening the door to potential new therapies for a range of conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and cancer cachexia. (The blood-brain barrier is a protective shield separating the brain from the bloodstream; it is made up of tightly packed cells lining the blood vessels in the brain and controls what substances can move from the blood to the brain.) The delivery method involves specially engineered nanoparticles. Tested in a mouse model, the nanoparticles reached their intended destination, the hypothalamus, and delivered a drug that inhibits a key protein associated with inflammation.