TED2018
Kaitlyn Sadtler: How we could teach our bodies to heal faster
Filmed:
Readability: 5.6
2,315,538 views
What if we could help our bodies heal faster and without scars, like Wolverine in X-Men? TED Fellow Kaitlyn Sadtler is working to make this dream a reality by developing new biomaterials that could change how our immune system responds to injuries. In this quick talk, she shows the different ways these products could help the body regenerate.
Kaitlyn Sadtler - Regenerative tissue engineer
Kaitlyn Sadtler researches how our body can regenerate tissue through instructions from our immune system. Full bio
Kaitlyn Sadtler researches how our body can regenerate tissue through instructions from our immune system. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
What if you could take a pill or a vaccine
0
1404
3508
00:16
and, just like getting over a cold,
1
4936
1730
00:18
you could heal your wounds faster?
2
6690
2095
00:20
Today, if we have
an operation or an accident,
an operation or an accident,
3
8809
3522
00:24
we're in the hospital for weeks,
4
12355
1621
00:26
and often left with scars
and painful side effects
and painful side effects
5
14000
2626
00:28
of our inability to regenerate
or regrow healthy, uninjured organs.
or regrow healthy, uninjured organs.
6
16650
5135
00:34
I work to create materials
7
22436
2026
00:36
that instruct our immune system to give us
the signals to grow new tissues.
the signals to grow new tissues.
8
24486
4203
00:41
Just like vaccines instruct
our body to fight disease,
our body to fight disease,
9
29497
3074
00:44
we could instead instruct
our immune system
our immune system
10
32595
2728
00:47
to build tissues
and more quickly heal wounds.
and more quickly heal wounds.
11
35347
2864
00:50
Now, regrowing body parts out of nowhere
might seem like magic,
might seem like magic,
12
38886
3778
00:54
but there are several organisms
that can achieve this feat.
that can achieve this feat.
13
42688
3191
00:57
Some lizards can regrow their tails,
14
45903
2443
01:00
the humble salamander
can completely regenerate their arm,
can completely regenerate their arm,
15
48370
3945
01:04
and even us mere humans
can regrow our liver
can regrow our liver
16
52339
2889
01:07
after losing more than half
of its original mass.
of its original mass.
17
55252
2571
01:10
To make this magic
a bit closer to reality,
a bit closer to reality,
18
58615
2635
01:13
I'm investigating how our body
can heal wounds and build tissue
can heal wounds and build tissue
19
61274
4095
01:17
through instructions
from the immune system.
from the immune system.
20
65393
2129
01:20
From a scrape on your knee
to that annoying sinus infection,
to that annoying sinus infection,
21
68387
3525
01:23
our immune system defends
our body from danger.
our body from danger.
22
71936
2681
01:27
I'm an immunologist,
23
75199
1461
01:28
and by using what I know
about our body's defense system,
about our body's defense system,
24
76684
3030
01:31
I was able to identify key players
25
79738
2176
01:33
in our fight to build back
our cuts and bruises.
our cuts and bruises.
26
81938
2688
01:37
When looking at materials
that are currently being tested
that are currently being tested
27
85436
2669
01:40
for their abilities to help regrow muscle,
28
88129
2198
01:42
our team noticed that after treating
an injured muscle with these materials,
an injured muscle with these materials,
29
90351
4159
01:46
there was a large number of immune cells
30
94534
2323
01:48
in that material
and the surrounding muscle.
and the surrounding muscle.
31
96881
2557
01:52
So in this case,
32
100010
1158
01:53
instead of the immune cells rushing off
towards infection to fight bacteria,
towards infection to fight bacteria,
33
101192
4214
01:57
they're rushing toward an injury.
34
105430
2087
01:59
I discovered a specific
type of immune cell,
type of immune cell,
35
107922
2833
02:02
the helper T cell,
36
110779
1294
02:04
was present inside
that material that I implanted
that material that I implanted
37
112097
2729
02:06
and absolutely critical for wound healing.
38
114850
2397
02:10
Now, just like when you were a kid
and you'd break your pencil
and you'd break your pencil
39
118325
3442
02:13
and try and tape it back together again,
40
121791
2538
02:16
we can heal,
41
124353
1154
02:17
but it might not be
in the most functional way,
in the most functional way,
42
125531
2245
02:19
and we'll get a scar.
43
127800
1373
02:21
So if we don't have these helper T cells,
44
129515
2984
02:24
instead of healthy muscle,
45
132523
1587
02:26
our muscle develops
fat cells inside of it,
fat cells inside of it,
46
134134
2611
02:28
and if there's fat in our muscle,
it isn't as strong.
it isn't as strong.
47
136769
2477
02:32
Now, using our immune system,
48
140033
2400
02:34
our body could grow back
without these scars
without these scars
49
142457
2497
02:36
and look like what it was
before we were even injured.
before we were even injured.
50
144978
2912
02:41
I'm working to create materials
51
149128
2560
02:43
that give us the signals
to build new tissue
to build new tissue
52
151712
2279
02:46
by changing the immune response.
53
154015
1840
02:48
We know that any time
a material is implanted in our body,
a material is implanted in our body,
54
156840
4215
02:53
the immune system will respond to it.
55
161079
2055
02:55
This ranges from pacemakers
to insulin pumps
to insulin pumps
56
163158
4509
02:59
to the materials that engineers are using
to try and build new tissue.
to try and build new tissue.
57
167691
3666
03:03
So when I place that material,
or scaffold, in the body,
or scaffold, in the body,
58
171932
4065
03:08
the immune system creates
a small environment of cells and proteins
a small environment of cells and proteins
59
176021
4405
03:12
that can change the way
that our stem cells behave.
that our stem cells behave.
60
180450
2872
03:15
Now, just like the weather
affects our daily activities,
affects our daily activities,
61
183817
3898
03:19
like going for a run
62
187739
1325
03:21
or staying inside and binge-watching
an entire TV show on Netflix,
an entire TV show on Netflix,
63
189088
4485
03:25
the immune environment of a scaffold
64
193597
1968
03:27
affects the way that
our stem cells grow and develop.
our stem cells grow and develop.
65
195589
2825
03:30
If we have the wrong signals,
66
198883
2016
03:32
say the Netflix signals,
67
200923
1675
03:34
we get fat cells instead of muscle.
68
202622
2864
03:38
These scaffolds are made
of a variety of different things,
of a variety of different things,
69
206790
3127
03:41
from plastics to naturally
derived materials,
derived materials,
70
209941
3365
03:45
nanofibers of varying thicknesses,
71
213330
2751
03:48
sponges that are more or less porous,
72
216105
2413
03:50
gels of different stiffnesses.
73
218542
2119
03:52
And researchers
can even make the materials
can even make the materials
74
220685
2110
03:54
release different signals over time.
75
222819
2039
03:57
So in other words, we can orchestrate
this Broadway show of cells
this Broadway show of cells
76
225473
5246
04:02
by giving them the correct
stage, cues and props
stage, cues and props
77
230743
3858
04:06
that can be changed for different tissues,
78
234625
2221
04:08
just like a producer would change the set
79
236870
2196
04:11
for "Les Mis" versus
"Little Shop of Horrors."
"Little Shop of Horrors."
80
239090
2923
04:14
I'm combining specific types of signals
81
242398
2684
04:17
that mimic how our body responds to injury
to help us regenerate.
to help us regenerate.
82
245106
4708
04:22
In the future, we could see
a scar-proof band-aid,
a scar-proof band-aid,
83
250283
3528
04:25
a moldable muscle filler
or even a wound-healing vaccine.
or even a wound-healing vaccine.
84
253835
3978
04:29
Now, we aren't going to wake up tomorrow
and be able to heal like Wolverine.
and be able to heal like Wolverine.
85
257837
3577
04:33
Probably not next Tuesday, either.
86
261438
1866
04:35
But with these advances,
87
263328
1184
04:36
and working with our immune system
to help build tissue and heal wounds,
to help build tissue and heal wounds,
88
264536
4205
04:40
we could begin seeing
products on the market
products on the market
89
268765
2229
04:43
that work with our body's defense system
to help us regenerate,
to help us regenerate,
90
271018
3866
04:46
and maybe one day be able
to keep pace with a salamander.
to keep pace with a salamander.
91
274908
4055
04:51
Thank you.
92
279876
1151
04:53
(Applause)
93
281051
3639
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kaitlyn Sadtler - Regenerative tissue engineerKaitlyn Sadtler researches how our body can regenerate tissue through instructions from our immune system.
Why you should listen
Kaitlyn Sadtler is a postdoctoral fellow at MIT and received her Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she discovered a certain type of immune cell -- the T cell -- was critical for muscle regeneration. This work was published in Science Magazine and has led to more findings in how our immune system responds to materials used in tissue engineering.
Kaitlyn Sadtler | Speaker | TED.com