Your body vs. implants - Kaitlyn Sadtler

Prevodilac: Kristina Radosavljević Lektor: Ivana Krivokuća

Insulin pumps improve the lives

Insulinske pumpe su poboljšale živote

of many of the 415 million people with diabetes around the world

mnogih od 415 miliona ljudi sa dijabetesom širom sveta

by monitoring blood sugar, delivering insulin,

kontrolišući šećer u krvi, dostavljajući insulin

and preventing the need for constant finger-pricking and blood testing.

i otklanjajući potrebu za stalnim ubadanjem prsta i testiranjem krvi.

These small machines include a pump and a needle, which can sense glucose levels,

Ove male mašine uključuju pumpu i iglu koja može izmeriti nivo šećera,

feed back to the pump,

poslati podatke pumpi,

and then calculate how much insulin to deliver through the needle.

i zatim izračunati koliko insulina treba da se dostavi putem igle.

But they have a catch: they’re temporary.

Ali postoji caka: one su privremene.

Within a few days, glucose sensors have to be moved and replaced.

Nakon nekoliko dana, senzori šećera moraju da se premeste i zamene.

And it’s not just glucose monitors and insulin pumps that have this problem,

Nemaju samo monitori šećera i insulinske pumpe ovaj problem,

but all bodily implants, at different time scales.

nego svi telesni implanti, u razičitim vremenskim okvirima.

Plastic prosthetic knees have to be replaced after about 20 years.

Plastična protetička kolena moraju se zameniti nakon 20 godina.

Other implants, such as those used for cosmetic reasons,

Drugi implanti, na primer, oni koji se koriste u kozmetičke svrhe,

can meet the same fate in about 10.

mogu trajati oko 10 godina.

That isn’t just a nuisance: it can be expensive and risky.

To ne samo da predstavlja neprijatnost, već takođe može biti skupo i rizično.

This inconvenience happens because of our bodies’ immune systems.

Ove neprijatnosti se dešavaju zbog imunološkog sistema našeg tela.

Honed by several hundred million years of evolution,

Usavršavani tokom nekoliko stotina miliona godina evolucije,

these defensive fronts

ovi odbrambeni frontovi

have become exceptionally good at identifying foreign objects.

su postali jako dobri u otkrivanju stranih objekata.

Our immune systems boast

Naš imunološki sistem može da se pohvali

an impressive arsenal of tools to tackle, intercept, and destroy

impresivnim arsenalom alatki kojima može da napadne, presretne i uništi

anything they believe shouldn’t be there.

sve što smatra da ne treba da bude tu.

But the consequence of this constant surveillance

Kao posledica ovog stalnog nadgledanja,

is that our bodies treat helpful implants, like insulin pumps,

naše telo tretira korisne implante, kao što su insulinske pumpe,

with the same suspicion as they would a harmful virus or bacteria.

na isti način kao što bi posmatralo štetni virus ili bakteriju.

As soon as the insulin pump has been implanted in the skin,

Čim se insulinska pumpa stavi pod kožu,

its presence triggers what’s known as a “foreign body response.”

njeno prisustvo aktivira nešto što zovemo „odgovor na strano telo”.

This starts with free-floating proteins

Počinje tako što se slobodni plutajući proteini

that stick themselves to the surface of the implant.

zalepe za površinu implanta.

Those proteins include antibodies,

Ovi proteini sadrže antitela

which attempt to neutralize the new object

koja pokušavaju da neutralizuju objekat

and send out a signal that calls other immune cells to the site

i pošalju signal koji poziva ostale imunološke ćelije na lice mesta,

to strengthen the attack.

kako bi pojačali napad.

Early-responding inflammatory cells,

Ćelije za brzu reakciju protiv upala,

like neutrophils and macrophages,

kao što su neutrofili i makrofagi,

respond to the emergency call.

odgovaraju na hitan poziv.

Neutrophils release little granules filled with enzymes

Neutrofili ispuštaju male kuglice ispunjene enzimima

that try to break down the surface of the insulin pump’s needle.

koje pokušavaju da slome površinu igle insulinske pumpe.

Macrophages secrete enzymes too,

Makrofagi takođe izlučuju enzime,

together with nitric oxide radicals,

zajedno sa radikalima azot-oksida,

which create a chemical reaction that degrades the object over time.

koji stvaraju hemijsku reakciju koja vremenom razgrađuje predmet.

If the macrophages are unable to dispatch the foreign body rapidly,

Ako makrofagi nisu u stanju da brzo otklone strano telo,

they fuse together, forming a mass of cells called a “giant cell.”

spajaju se, formirajući masu poznatu kao „džinovska ćelija”.

At the same time, cells called fibroblasts

Istovremeno, ćelije zvane fibroblasti

travel to the site and begin to deposit layers of dense connective tissue.

putuju do tog mesta i počinju da odlažu slojeve gustog vezivnog tkiva.

Those enclose the needle that the pump uses to deliver insulin

To zarobi iglu koju pumpa koristi kako bi dostavila insulin

and test for glucose levels.

i testirala nivo šećera.

Over time this scaffolding builds up,

Vremenom, ova tvorevina će se uvećati,

forming a scar around the implant.

formirajući ožiljak oko implanta.

The scar functions as an almost impenetrable wall

Ožiljak funkcioniše kao skoro neprobojni zid

that might start to block vital interactions

koji može da blokira važnu interakciju

between the body and the implant.

između tela i implanta.

For example, scarring around pacemakers can interrupt

Na primer, ožiljci oko pejsmejkera mogu prekinuti elektronski prenos

the electrical transmission that’s crucial for their functioning.

koji je ključan za njihovo funkcionisanje.

Synthetic knee joints may give off particles as they’re worn down,

Veštački zglobovi kolena mogu odbacivati delove kako se troše,

causing immune cells to inflame around these fragments.

zbog čega se imunološke ćelije upale oko ovih delova.

Tragically, the immune system’s attack can even be life-threatening.

Na nesreću, napad imunološkog sistema takođe može biti smrtonosan.

However, researchers are finding ways to trick the immune system

Ipak, istraživači pronalaze načine da zavaraju imunološki sistem

into accepting the new devices we introduce into our bodily tissues.

kako bi prihvatio ove nove naprave koje stavljamo u tkivo.

We’ve discovered that coating implants with certain chemicals and drugs

Otkrili smo da premazivanje implanta određenim hemikalijama i lekovima

can dampen the immune response.

može smanjiti imunološku reakciju.

Those basically make the implants invisible to the immune system.

To u suštini čini implante nevidljivim za imunološki sistem.

We’re also making more implants out of natural materials

Takođe pravimo sve više implanta od prirodnih materijala

and in forms that directly mimic tissues,

i u obliku koji direktno oponaša tkiva,

so that the body launches a weaker attack

tako da telo slabije napada

than it would if it came across a completely artificial implant.

nego što bi to bio slučaj sa potpuno veštačkim implantom.

Some medical treatments involve implants

Neki medicinski tretmani obuhvataju implante

designed to regenerate lost or damaged tissues.

napravljene u svrhu obnavljanja izgubljenog ili oštećenog tkiva.

In those cases, we can design the implants to contain ingredients

U tim slučajevima, možemo napraviti implante koji sadrže sastojke

that will release specific signals,

koji će otpuštati specifične signale

and carefully tailor our bodies’ immune reactions.

i pažljivo prilagoditi imunološku reakciju našeg tela.

In the future, this way of working alongside the immune system

U budućnosti, ovakav način rada u korak sa imunološkim sistemom

could help us develop completely artificial organs,

bi nam mogao pomoći da razvijemo potpuno veštačke organe,

totally integrative prostheses,

potpuno integrativne proteze,

and self-healing wound therapies.

i tretman za samozaceljivanje rana.

These treatments might one day revolutionize medicine–

Ovi tretmani mogu jednog dana napraviti revoluciju u medicini

and transform, forever, the bodies we live in.

i zauvek transformisati tela u kojima živimo.