Nanostructured material could replace human tissue

It would be useful, indeed, if a synthetic material could function in worn out knees, mimicking healthy natural cartilage.  To that end, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology (Gothenburg, Sweden) have fabricated “. . .  a tough ordered mesoporous elastomer formed via bottom-up lyotropic self-assembly of noncytotoxic, polymerizable amphiphilic triblock copolymers and hydrophobic polymers. The elastomer is cross-linked using covalent cross-links and physical hydrophobic entanglements that are organized in a periodic manner at the nanoscale.”   It is soft, flexible, elastic, durable and can be applied by injection.  MORE

Image Credit:  Chalmers University of Technology