In 1957, Dr. Thomas Ming Swi Chang laid the groundwork for our current understanding of synthetic cells. His proposal introduced the concept of artificial cells, a class of synthetic structures where biologically active components are encapsulated in artificial membranes.
For the first time, a scientist has successfully created synthetic cells that operate like living ones. These cells hold immense potential, with implications for diagnostic tools, drug delivery systems, and regenerative medicine, sparking a wave of excitement in the scientific community.
Basic Cell Mechanics
Cells and tissues are made of proteins that come together to perform tasks and create structures. Proteins are vital for forming the framework of a cell, called the cytoskeleton. Without these structures, cells would not be able to function. The cytoskeleton allows cells to be flexible in terms of shape and their response to the environment.
The cellular cytoskeleton comprises hierarchical and dynamic polymers that function as scaffolding components of cells and drive crucial processes like motility, cell division, and morphogenesis. The spatial organization of the cytoskeletal components inside cells and in contact with membranes governs these functions.
The cytoskeleton's ability to transition between different architectures, ranging from filament networks to aligned spindles, is influenced by many associating proteins. These proteins regulate the elongation, nucleation, severing, branching, bundling, capping, and crosslinking of filaments to shape cells.
Regulating the Functions of Synthetic Cells
In a new study, researcher Ronit Freeman from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill led a team of researchers who created artificial cells by manipulating DNA and proteins. The details of their research are discussed in the paper "Designer peptide-DNA cytoskeletons regulate the function of synthetic cells."
The Freeman Lab has pioneered a unique approach to creating cells with functional cytoskeletons. These cells can adapt their shape and respond to their environment, all without the use of natural proteins. Instead, the team harnessed a new programmable peptide-DNA technology to direct peptides, the building blocks of proteins, and repurposed genetic material to form a cytoskeleton.
DNA does not normally appear in a cytoskeleton. In this study, Freeman and colleagues reprogrammed DNA sequences so that they act as architectural materials that build peptides together. Once this programmed material was placed in a droplet of water, the structures took shape.
The artificial cells, remarkably stable even at 122 degrees Fahrenheit, offer a glimpse into the future of cell technology. This breakthrough opens the possibility of manufacturing cells with extraordinary capabilities in environments typically unsuitable to human life. The ability to program DNA in this way means that experts can create cells to serve specific functions and fine-tune a cell's response to external stressors, promising a new frontier in synthetic biology.
Although living cells are more complex than the synthetic ones created by the Freeman Lab, they are also more unpredictable and more susceptible to hostile environments, such as severe temperatures. With this discovery, the researchers think of engineering fabrics or tissues that can be sensitive to environmental changes and behave in dynamic ways.
Instead of creating materials made to last, the materials developed by Freeman and his team are made to perform a specific function and then modify themselves to serve a new function. Their application can be customized by adding various peptide or DNA designs to program cells in materials like fabrics or tissues. These new materials could revolutionize fields such as biotechnology and medicine when integrated with other synthetic cell technologies.
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