Australian scientists say pre-historic 'goo' could improve medical devices and implants [Video]

A goo-like substance believed to have been the source of all life evolving on Earth could lead to an innovative new coating for medical devices and implants, a new Australian research has found.

Known as prebiotic compounds, this primordial goo can be traced back to billions of years and have been studied intensively since their discovery several decades ago, according to CSIRO. For the first time, researchers have uncovered a way to use these molecules to assist with medical treatments.

Hundreds of thousands of Australians receive medical implants like bone replacements, catheters and pacemakers every year, said the study’s lead researcher, Dr Richard Evans. “The human body is a complex system, so there is a lot to consider when implanting artificial parts. Reducing the likelihood of infection and ensuring the body doesn’t reject implants are ongoing medical challenges,” he added.

This is why coatings on the implants are needed to help medical practitioners do their job, Evans noted. For the study, the team wants to use the prehistoric molecules to see if they could apply the chemistry in a practical way.

Evan and his colleagues discovered that the substance could be applied to medical devices to improve their performance and acceptance by the body, since the coating is bio-friendly and cells readily grow and colonise it.

“The non-toxic coating is adhesive and will coat almost any material, making its potential biomedical applications really broad,” Evans said.

The researchers also experimented with adding silver compounds to produce an antibacterial coating that can be used on devices such as catheters to avoid infections. According to Evans, other compounds can also be added to implants to reduce friction and make them more durable and resistant to wear.

The coating process the scientists developed is very simple and uses methods and substances that are readily available. This means biomedical manufacturers can produce improved results more cost effectively compared to existing methods.

CSIRO is the first organisation to investigate practical applications of this kind using prebiotic chemistry. For their next steps, the team is seeking to partner with biomedical manufacturers to exploit the technology. Their findings, published in the Nature journal Asia Materials, open the door to a host of new biomedical possibilities that are still yet to be explored, according to Evans.

In May 2015, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology came up with a way to reduce the immune-system rejection of biomedical implants. In a study that appeared in Nature Materials, the team found that the geometry of implantable devices has a significant impact on how well the body tolerates them.

Although the researchers initially expected that smaller devices will be better able to evade the immune system, they discovered that larger spherical devices are actually better able to maintain their function and avoid scar-tissue buildup. The researchers hope to use this insight to further develop an implantable device that could mimic the function of the pancreas, potentially offering a long-term treatment for diabetes patients. It could also be applicable to devices used to treat many other diseases.