Buzz
Hip and knee replacements typically need to be replaced every 15 years due to wear on the polyethylene or plastic lining between the implant and surrounding tissue, which leads to soft tissue exposure to the implant. However, researchers have recently found an unexpected source for a smoother and longer-lasting lining: the beak of the jumbo squid.
The beak of Dosidicus gigas, a species found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, is flexible at the base where it connects to the squid's body, but sharp and strong enough at the tip to puncture prey. This gradual change in stiffness along the beak could offer valuable insights for improving joint implants.
Ali Miserez and his research team from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, whose study was published in Nature earlier this year, investigated the squid's beak structure. They uncovered the molecular arrangement responsible for the beak's stiffness gradient. Made up of interwoven chitin fibers and a concentrated liquid protein solution that solidifies near the tip, the beak shares similarities with the composition of crustacean shells and insect exoskeletons, much like superglue hardening in the air.
In other words, as Miserez told the Singapore paper The Straits Times [PDF], "The protein moves into the correct position and, when conditions change (like pH levels), it hardens."
Replicating this gradual shift in hardness could lead to more durable and comfortable joint implants. The next challenge is figuring out how to manufacture these next-generation implants. Miserez believes that chitin can be sourced from seafood waste, while the necessary proteins could be synthesized in the lab.
