Axomax technologies will enter human trials for the first time to repair damaged neurons

Recently, axomax technologies, a start-up company derived from the University of Pittsburgh, has developed a biodegradable neural conduit (a polymer tube), which contains growth promoting proteins that can repair damaged nerves without transplanting stem cells or donor nerves So far, the technology has been tested in monkeys, and the experimental results have been published in Science Translational Medicine Car accidents, mechanical accidents, cancer treatment, diabetes, and even birth trauma can cause serious neurological damage, affecting more than 20 million Americans A third of an inch can grow around the damaged nerve itself, but if the length of the damaged part is greater than this range, the nerve will be disorganized because the target cannot be found Usually, the disoriented nerve knots into a pain ball called a neuroma For long-term nerve injury, the most common treatment is to remove the osteosensory nerve that causes numbness and other complications, cut it into three equal parts, sew them together, and implant them into the end of the injured motor nerve However, only about 40% to 60% of motor function will recover In the latest study, the researchers successfully restored about 80% of fine motor control in the thumbs of four monkeys, each with a 2-inch forearm gap The method is made of the same material as the soluble suture and contains proteins that promote growth The researchers set up two control groups: empty polymer tubes and polymer tubes with nerve grafts Because the legs of monkeys are relatively short, the routine clinical operation of removing and cutting the leg nerves is ineffective for monkeys So the researchers removed a 2-inch-long ganglion from the monkey's forearm, turned it over and sewed it into place The results showed that the recovery of neural function of monkey after transplantation was as good as that of conventional grafts, and the performance of monkey in restoring nerve conduction and supplementing myelin sheath cells (the insulating layer around the nerve can enhance the electrical signal and support) was better than that of the grafts With the results of these experiments in monkeys, the company hopes to further bring its neural guidance technology to human patients, and is currently cooperating with the US FDA in its first human clinical trial Novosteo injectable fracture repair therapy is about to enter clinical practice Novosteo, a start-up company derived from Purdue University, has developed a new injectable drug to accelerate fracture healing and strengthen weak bones According to data from the National Institutes of health, the average recovery time for a healthy adult arm fracture is six to eight weeks The average recovery time of hip fracture in the elderly aged 55 or above may take six months to one year 1/3 of patients die of complications within a year, while only 50% of survivors return to full activity within a year Based on the discovery of drugs to promote bone regeneration and the method of selectively targeting these drugs to the fracture surface, the company has designed a series of fracture treatment drugs These drugs concentrate the treatment ability on the fracture site, thus greatly improving the recovery process and recovery time of fracture, and reducing the exposure of drugs to other parts of the body At present, the company has demonstrated the therapeutic potential of its first candidate drug nov004 in preclinical trials, and is ready to continue to push it into the clinical development stage Nov004 dispenses with invasive surgery and treats fractures directly on the bone by injection The company is also considering using the targeted drug for other uses, including dental implants, head and face fractures, and hip and knee replacements Perhaps in the future, the drug could also help patients who are not suitable for surgery, the company said As can be seen in the figure above, there was a significant increase in bone mineral density (yellow and orange represent higher bone mineral density than purple and blue) after four weeks of targeted drug treatment C Light technologies opens a "new window" for nervous system health Recently, fierce biotech, a well-known media in the industry, reported the latest progress of C light technologies, a start-up company derived from the University of California, Berkeley The company has developed a new tracking scanning laser inspection glasses, which use artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to measure the tiny movement of the human eye, and track the retinal movement at the cell level, opening a "new window" for people's nervous system health The company hopes to use it as a new way to screen people for ALS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, or concussion This non-invasive laser scanning detection can be completed in only 10 seconds Patients need to aim their eyes at a support and fix their eyes on a target while recording retinal video This process does not need any expansion or eye drops At a basic level, the principle is the same as other simple eye tests, such as doctors asking patients to follow the movement of their fingers, the company said But the sensitivity of this technique to retinal imaging is 120 times that of other tracking systems In other words, it can measure eye movements that cannot be detected by existing pupil tracking techniques.