Dr. Kathryn Vandorna from the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion has developed a new method that allows monitoring the formation of immune blood cells in the bone marrow. For this purpose, she used tiny magnetic particles of iron oxide, which she followed with various imaging methods, including an MRI of the living creature.
The immune system is roughly divided into two - the innate system, which is the first barrier against pathogens, and the acquired system, which comes into action later and reacts in a more targeted manner. The present study focused on the maternal system. The blood cells of the immune system are formed in the bone marrow, which is located in the spongy part of the bone.
Dr. Catherine Vandorna from the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering has developed a new method that enables the monitoring of the formation of immune blood cells in the bone marrow. For this purpose, she used tiny magnetic particles of iron oxide, which she followed with various imaging methods, including MRI of the living being (in vivo magnetic resonance imaging). In a study, conducted in mice, and published in the scientific magazine DHW Nano, was tested The effect of inflammation at different levels on the formation of blood cells.
The findings: the more intense the inflammation, the more immune blood cell cells are formed in the bone marrow. In other words, the body responds to the infection by creating inflammation - it increases the amount of immune blood cells so that they respond to the infection. The conclusion is that the bone is not just a "cell factory"; The more acute the inflammation, it reacts by increasing the amount of vital blood cells and increased absorption of nanoparticles. From an applied point of view, this discovery will make it possible to track immune cells more precisely. The study also highlights the potential of those nanometer particles in transporting drugs, which is relevant in a variety of diseases including cancer, heart disease and neurodegenerative diseases.
According to Dr. Vandorna, "We can now provide doctors with an effective tool for the early detection of inflammation based on tracking the bone marrow. We believe that this discovery will significantly improve the way doctors diagnose various diseases, which will lead to more personalized and effective treatment.
Dr. Kathryn Vandorna, a faculty member in the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion since September 2020, completed a bachelor's and master's degree in veterinary medicine at Ghent University, Belgium, and a doctorate in the Department of Biological Control at the Weizmann Institute of Science. She then went on to do a post-doctorate at Harvard Medical School. As part of her activities, Dr. Vandorna received the title of Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and worked as a visiting scientist in the Naaman Laboratory in the Department of Biological Control at the Weizmann Institute.
for the article in the journal DHW Nano
Caption:
1. Dr. Catherine Vandorna. Photo credit: Nitzan Zohar, Technion Spokesperson
