Scar tissue forms upon the initiation of medical device "implants" into the body making the said device ineffective and results in non-pharmacological effects. A new study suggests that blocking a specific molecule can inhibit the formation of scar tissue.
The study was pioneered by Koch Institute and JDRF postdoc Joshua Doloff with senior author Daniel Anderson. According to Phys Org, the new findings give a better understanding of the mechanism of the formation of fibrosis and prevent the existence of scar tissue around medical device "implants". Moreover, the scientists could use the study to extend the lifespan or shelf-life of implantable medical devices.
Medical device "implants" are used medically for drug delivery, sensing, and tissue regeneration. The body's immune system considers these devices as foreign and thus, they build up the wall of scar tissue around the devices which disables its function.
One example of these medical device "implants" is a device that could mimic the function of the pancreas, offering treatment for diabetes patients which is a discovery of Anderson. To investigate how fibrosis happens, Anderson's team has reviewed all the components of the immune system in mice. The team found that macrophages are necessary for fibrosis to occur and without these so-called macrophages; scar tissue will not form around implanted devices.
According to Science Daily, the scientists have identified a signaling molecule that supports macrophage precursors called monocytes that differentiate into macrophages, that initiates fibrosis. Furthermore, the researchers have discovered that by blocking the cell surface receptors of this signaling molecule, known as CSF1, fibrosis induced by medical device "implants" could prevent fibrosis.
The researchers are on their way to deliver the CSF1R-blocking drugs along with some types of implantable devices. This new approach can be safer compared to other techniques used to suppress the immune system for a more effective medical device "implants". Other implantable devices that can be disrupted by fibrosis include glucose sensors for diabetes patients and pacemakers.
