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3892 ModPolEUV

Nanotech medicine
To rebuild damaged parts of a human body from scratch is a dream that has long fired human
imagination, from Mary Shelley’s Doctor Frankenstein to modern day surgeons. Now, a team
of European scientists, working in the frame of the EUREKA project ModPolEUV, has made
a promising contribution to reconstructive surgery thanks to an original multidisciplinary
approach matching cutting-edge medicine to the latest developments in nanotechnology.
According to the World Health the way a line of cells would develop. The Polish partner in the team, the
Organisation (WHO), an estimated It was the beginning of an entire new Military University of Technology of
322,000 deaths globally per year are scientific field, somewhere between Warsaw, has been in charge of the
linked to severe injuries from fire and medicine and nanotechnology,’ says development of the new laser-based
in many of these cases death could have Professor Johannes Heitz, Senior technology called EUV (Extreme Ultra-
been avoided with surgical intervention. Research Associate at the University of Violet) that was used for the creation of
Linz, Austria and main coordinator of the nano-structured polymer surfaces.
In this type of intervention, when the ModPolEUV project. A beam of EUV light formed with a
major burn patients have insufficient unique mirror developed by the Czech
skin left to graft on the most damaged In the case of human skin cells, re- partner REFLEX S.R.O is directed on
part of their body, new skin has literally implantation of the tissue can be the surface allowing the creation of
to be grown from the patient’s own performed once a sufficient amount new kinds of polymeric materials. This
skin cells. However, the long delay in of skin is obtained, by growing it on a innovative technique allows for a very
growing the skin can expose the burns polymeric material surface. high degree of precision, from 10 to
patient to increased risk of infection and
dehydration; so to help those cells to
multiply, specialists use a particular kind
It was the beginning of an entire new scientific field,
of component called polymeric material.
Because of their extraordinary range of
somewhere between medicine and nanotechnology.
properties, polymeric materials play a
ubiquitous role in our daily life. This role
ranges from familiar synthetic plastics: However, in many cases, imperfections 20 nanometres, whereas conventional
plastic bags or yoghurt cups, to natural in the material structure can make the techniques allowed only for a maximal
biopolymers such as wood or proteins process relatively long and sometimes precision level of 100 nanometres. ‘One
that are present in the human body. inefficient, with cells developing of the newest theories in the field of
erratically. cell growing is that the smaller the
New nano-structured materials
structure, the wider the possibilities to
It has been known for the last few years The team of Austrian, Czech and Polish manipulate cells,’ says Professor Heitz.
that man made synthetic polymeric scientists involved in the research
A wide range of human cells
materials have the potential to grow and project managed to develop a new and
multiply human cells. ‘About 10 years simple way to create nano-structured The EUV technique, thanks to its
ago, scientists discovered the important materials that would allow a better particular level of precision, also allows
influence that nano-structures had on development of human cells. for the conservation of the material’s

Doing business through technology

 structure, which was not the case with out of polymer materials, such as heart lithography; applications could be
other methods used to modify the valves and bloods vessels. Using the EUV proposed to every type of industry
polymer. ‘A regular structure is essential technique would reduce the odds of where nano-structures are used.
! 3892 ModPolEUV
if the material is to be used for the implant rejection, as the range of new For instance, in micro-mechanics,
purpose of growing human cells,’ says materials created could be adapted to integrated optics, wear reduction or
Dr Henryk Fiederowicz, Professor at the interact perfectly with specific parts of the production of nano-composite
Military University of Technology. a patient’s body. materials.

The story does not end there. Nano-
structures built through the
technique have the ability to influence
the behaviour of organic cells and
different kind of cells can be grown
better and faster depending on the type
of polymer surface used.
The variety of material used to grow
human stem cells will determinate the
way cells will differentiate, meaning
that they will transform into another
human cell type. In other words: ‘Using
one type of polymer material or another
Broad applications
EUV All partners agree on the fact that
EUREKA has helped them to find
elsewhere in Europe the expertise and
skills unavailable in their own countries.
The next step is to bring their innovation
to the market.
The Military Institute of Technology has
already handled several EUV installations
to laboratories in the USA, Germany, the
Czech Republic, France, Japan, China and
South Korea. It is now preparing for a
full commercial phase, in partnership
For researchers at Linz University,
the cell-growing technology is still
in a testing phase and Professor
Heitz prefers not to be overwhelmed
by enthusiasm, even though he
concedes that results have been ‘very
encouraging so far’. ‘The interaction of
cells with which structure dimensions
are below 100 nanometres is currently
the topic of a huge international effort,’
he says. Despite the importance of the
innovation ‘our contribution is very
small when compared to the many other

Using one type of polymer material or another will

help you grow different type of muscle, nerves, cells
adapted to a human heart, bone or any other part of
the human body.

will help you grow different types
of muscle, nerves, cells adapted to a
human heart, bone or any other part of
the human body,’ says Professor Heitz.
Thanks to their affinity to human
tissue and cells, polymeric materials
could also be used for designing entire
artificial implants. Indeed, many types
of implants are already being made
with the Polish company PREVAC, a laboratories working in this field at the
leader in the market of high-precision moment’.
instruments.
According to Professor Heitz,
Applications of this novel technique ‘recreating whole organs is still a
could go far beyond nano-medicine scientist’s dream’. Yet the outcome of
and bio-technologies. An important the E! 3892 ModPolEUV project might
potential market could be the one just have brought the dream a little
of micro-electronics, with its ever- closer to reality.
expanding need for high-precision

Project participants: Contact

Austria, Czech Republic, Poland Prof. Johannes Heitz
Organisation: Institute of Applied Physics
Address: Institute of Applied Physics
Christian Doppler Laboratory Laser-assisted
Budget: 0,72 MEuro Diagnostics / Johannes Kepler University
Duration: 38 months Linz
Altenbergerstr. 69
A-4040 Linz
Tel: +43 (0) 732 2468-9248
Email: johannes.heitz@jku.at
www.eurekanetwork.org www.jku.at/applphys/content

EUREKA is one of the leading platforms for R&D-performing entrepreneurs in Europe. Founded in 1985, EUREKA now unites 39 member
countries. Together, they promote international, market-oriented research and innovation through the support they offer to enterprises,
universities and research institutes. Results stemming from EUREKA projects are everywhere: gsm mobile phone technology; navigation
systems; smartcards to support mobile and electronic commerce; film special effects software for cinema; state-of-the-art medical
devices and technologies to monitor and limit environmental pollution.