A pores and skin patch with nitroglycerine is the swap that controls an implant beneath (symbolic picture). Credit score: Josef Kuster / ETH Zurich
ETH researchers have developed a brand new gene swap that may be activated utilizing a commercially obtainable nitroglycerine patch utilized to the pores and skin. In the future, researchers need to use switches of this type to set off cell therapies for numerous metabolic ailments.
The physique regulates its metabolism exactly and repeatedly, with specialised cells within the pancreas always monitoring the quantity of sugar within the blood, for instance. When this blood sugar degree will increase after a meal, the physique units a sign cascade in movement as a way to deliver it again down.
In individuals affected by diabetes, this regulatory mechanism now not works precisely because it ought to. These affected due to this fact have an excessive amount of sugar of their blood and have to measure their blood sugar degree and inject themselves with insulin as a way to regulate it. This can be a comparatively imprecise method in comparison with the physique’s personal mechanism.
Equipping cells with particular capabilities
Martin Fussenegger is Professor of Biotechnology and Bioengineering on the Division of Biosystems Science and Engineering of ETH Zurich in Basel. With the above state of affairs in thoughts, he and his crew have been engaged on cell therapies for a while. In the future, the hope is that these therapies will enable metabolic ailments corresponding to diabetes to be handled individually and exactly—and even cured.
However how do these cell therapies work? First, the researchers modify human cells by incorporating a community of genes that give the cells particular talents. These cells are implanted below the pores and skin, for instance, and the community is activated by a particular exterior stimulus.
An appropriate swap is essential
To that finish, the researchers have developed numerous varieties of switches over current years. Some could be managed electrically, others with gentle, and one even utilizing music by the British rock band Queen.
The researchers in Basel have now developed one other variant, which they’ve revealed within the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.
“For me, this solution is the best gene switch that my group and I have built so far,” says Fussenegger. The reason being that the swap could be triggered utilizing the long-established lively ingredient nitroglycerin, and that the technique of software—sticking a patch to the pores and skin—could be very easy. Corresponding patches are already available for purchase in numerous sizes in any pharmacy.
Nitroglycerin shortly diffuses out of the patch and into the pores and skin, the place it encounters an implant that incorporates modified human kidney cells.
Schematic illustration exhibiting the molecular parts and mechanism of motion of hNORM in mammalian cells. Credit score: Nature Biomedical Engineering (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41551-025-01350-7
Community activated by nitric oxide
These cells particularly intercept the nitroglycerin and have a built-in enzyme that converts it into nitric oxide (NO), a pure signaling molecule. Within the physique, NO usually causes blood vessels to dilate, resulting in elevated blood move. It’s damaged down inside a number of seconds and due to this fact solely impacts a really localized space.
The implanted cells are modified in order that NO triggers the manufacturing and launch of the chemical messenger GLP-1, which in flip boosts insulin launch by the beta cells of the pancreas and thus regulates blood sugar ranges. GLP-1 additionally triggers a sense of satiety, thereby lowering meals consumption.
The brand new swap is made solely of human constituents—that’s, it incorporates no parts from different species. “That’s a new and groundbreaking feature,” says Fussenegger. With parts from different species, there’s at all times a danger of false triggering, interference with the physique’s personal processes, or immune reactions. “Here, we’re able to rule that out.”
A complete arsenal of switches
Within the final 20 years, the ETH professor has developed numerous totally different gene switches, a few of which reply to bodily triggers corresponding to present, sound waves or gentle. Which kind has the perfect probability of being carried out in the future?
“Physical triggers are interesting because we don’t need to use molecules that interfere with the body’s own processes,” the biotechnologist says. He explains {that electrical} indicators are perfect for controlling switches and gene networks utilizing transportable electronics corresponding to smartphones or smartwatches—and AI can then be integrated, too.
“I therefore think electrogenetic cell therapies have the best chances of implementation. In terms of chemical switches, I see the new solution as being in pole position,” says Fussenegger.
Nevertheless, the additional improvement of those cell therapies primarily based on gene switches is a fancy and prolonged course of. “Developing a cell therapy to market maturity not only takes decades but also requires lots of staff and sufficient resources,” says the researcher. “There’s no shortcut.”
Till now, Fussenegger’s work has centered primarily on cell therapies for diabetes, which is among the world’s most prevalent metabolic ailments, affecting 1 in 10 individuals. “That’s the model disease we work with. Fundamentally, however, it’s also possible to develop cell therapies for other metabolic, autoimmune or even neurodegenerative diseases—in principle, for everything that requires dynamic regulation.”
Based on Fussenegger, many medicine are like a hammer that’s used to strike at an issue blindly. “Cell therapies, on the other hand, solve the problem in a similar way to the body,” he says.
Extra data:
Mohamed Mahameed et al, Nitroglycerin-responsive gene swap for the on-demand manufacturing of therapeutic proteins, Nature Biomedical Engineering (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41551-025-01350-7
Quotation:
New gene swap prompts with easy pores and skin patch and will assist deal with diabetes (2025, February 14)
retrieved 14 February 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-02-gene-simple-skin-patch-diabetes.html
This doc is topic to copyright. Aside from any truthful dealing for the aim of personal research or analysis, no
half could also be reproduced with out the written permission. The content material is offered for data functions solely.
