Italian scientists have developed a microscopic laboratory that perfectly mimics a network of human blood vessels, it was announced at a research conference here on Wednesday. The team of experts applied techniques used in nanotechnology to create the ''micro-lab'', which could help science tackle diseases of the blood by allowing them to observe what happens when blood cells mutate. ''The technology allows us to analyze the red blood cells by simulating the conditions of the microcirculatory flow,'' explained one of the coordinators of the research, Antonio Cassinese of the National Research Council.
''We've effectively created a micro-system showing how the red blood cells are shaped and the speed they can move at as they pass through an artificial network very similar to the natural one''. The research team used optical lithography, normally used to engrave microchips, to create a network of simulated blood vessels from a silicone matrix. The engraving perfectly recreates the peripheral blood vessels, which are those in the feet, legs, lower abdomen, arms, neck and head. The vessels in the micro-lab are the same size as those in human beings, ranging from less than a tenth of a micrometre to several hundred micrometres. Red blood cells are injected into the system. As they move round the network, scientists are then able to assess the precise process of deformation as they squeeze through the miniscule channels.
''The aim is to create a new technique for studying how red blood cells are deformed in diseases such as thalassaemia and diabetes,'' explained another of the study's authors, Stefano Guido of the Federico II University of Naples. ''These are diseases that alter the structure of these cells and compromise their ability to move within the human microcircuit''. So far, the system has been used to compare the behaviour of red blood cells in healthy individuals with those in carriers of thalassaemia. However, the team believes the device could eventually help scientists devise treatments for a range of blood diseases.
