Nanoneedles could help body repair itself

The technology, developed by researchers from Imperial College London and Houston Methodist Research Institute in the US was recently trialed successfully on mice, where it was used to prompt parts of the body to generate new blood vessels.

The nanoneedles work by delivering nucleic acids to a specific area. Nucleic acids are the building blocks of all living organisms and they encode, transmit and express genetic information.  Scientists are currently investigating ways of using nucleic acids to re-program cells to carry out different functions.

The nanoneedles are tiny porous structures that act as a sponge to load significantly more nucleic acids than solid structures.

This makes them more effective at delivering their payload. They can penetrate the cell, bypassing its outer membrane, to deliver nucleic acids without harming or killing the cell.

The devices are made from biodegradable silicon, so they can be left in the body without leaving a toxic residue behind.