Artificial Cells That Can Replicate Crucial Functions Of Living Cells Created By Scientists
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Artificial Cells That Can Replicate Crucial Functions Of Living Cells Created By Scientists
Cell-like
structures, known as “cell mimics” have been produced with the capacity
to perform many activities previously limited to living cells. Although
they can't replicate, they could be used as delivery vehicles – taking
drugs to where they need to go in the body – and to clean up pollution.
The
cells in our body share with single-celled organisms the capacity to
draw molecules inside or pump them out. Without this, they would be
useless, dying swiftly from a lack of energy and nutrients. On the other
hand, if too exposed to the surrounding environment, they would be at
the mercy of everything around them.
Long-term
studies on artificial cells have succeeded in replicating some features
of living cells, but have lacked the capacity to capture molecules when
working against a concentration gradient. In Nature, New York University's Dr Stefano Sacanna and
co-authors report this is no longer true, having created cell mimics
that can achieve this key trait when activated by light or changes in
acidity.
"At
the heart of the cell-like structure's design is the synergy between an
active element that powers it from the inside and the physical
constraints imposed by the cell walls, allowing them to ingest, process,
and expel foreign bodies," Sacanna said in a statement.
The
capacity to move molecules from a low concentration site to a higher
one is called active transport. Without it, cells can neither take in
what they need to flourish from outside nor expel waste that would
otherwise harm them. This is what Sacanna's team have brought to their
mimic cells.
Watch video: https://youtu.be/DwRqt2sFjw8
The
authors report they placed artificial cells in water and turned them on
using light. The cells took up particles from their environment,
offering a path to cleaning up ecosystems. "Think of the cell mimics
like the PAC-MAN video game—they go around eating the pollutants and
removing them from the environment," Sacanna said.
Watch video: https://youtu.be/tJPTpzkm_hI
The team demonstrated their creations can not only consume pollutants humans put into the water supply, but living cells such as E. coli.
The process also works in reverse, with the mimic cells carrying a
payload they can release when given the appropriate signal. This could
make them the perfect carriers within the bloodstream, for example
transporting chemotherapy directly to tumors so other organs are not
affected.
The
team report they “borrow[ed] no materials from biology.” It might sound
like their work requires complex machines, but instead, they added
molecules to oil droplets to form spherical hollow colloids that, in the
right conditions, inflate around water droplets.
