New therapeutic strategy for degenerative diseases

退行性疾病的新治疗策略灵感来源于菠菜？

A group of Chinese scientists made a breakthrough as they rendered mammalian cells a unique skill owned by green plants -- turning water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and food via sunlight-- and revitalized those impaired animal cells.

一个中国科学家团队取得了突破性进展，他们使哺乳动物细胞具备了绿色植物所拥有的独特技能——通过阳光将水和二氧化碳转化为氧气和食物——并使那些受损的动物细胞恢复了活力。

The researchers from Zhejiang University developed an independent and controllable photosynthetic system derived from a device in young spinach leaves, according to the study published in the journal Nature this month.

据本月发表在《自然》杂志上的科研成果论文，浙江大学科研团队利用菠菜嫩叶中的装置开发了一种独立、可控的光合系统。

They integrated this plant system into arthritic mice's degenerated chondrocytes, which are cells found in the cartilage, and demonstrated that the modified cells, following exposure to light, help improve the metabolic process in which complex molecules are synthesized from simpler ones with the storage of energy.

他们将这种植物系统整合到了关节炎小鼠退化的软骨细胞中，软骨细胞是在软骨中发现的细胞，再进行无创化光照治疗，有助于改善软骨细胞的合成代谢，在这个过程中，简单分子通过储存能量合成复杂分子。

The researchers encapsulated the light-powered structure in a nanosized animal cell membrane coating as of camouflage to prevent the rodent's immune system from rejecting it as a foreign body.

研究人员将光能结构封装在一个纳米级的动物细胞膜涂层中，作为一种伪装，以防止啮齿动物的免疫系统将其作为异物排斥。

In arthritis, the energy-generating devices within cells tend to lose steam, but the photosynthesis of plants can produce the needed energy-carrying molecules, said the researchers.

研究人员表示，在关节炎中，细胞内的能量生成装置往往会失去活力，但植物的光合作用能够产生所需的载能分子。

The plant-derived system is shown to correct energy imbalance, restore cellular metabolism and protect against the chronic inflammation of the joints, according to the study.

研究显示，这种植物衍生系统能够纠正能量失衡，恢复细胞代谢，并防止关节的慢性炎症。

Using the natural photosynthetic system as a therapeutic strategy for degenerative diseases, is "an exciting achievement that opens up possibilities of metabolism engineering," said the paper's peer reviewer Francisco Cejudo from the University of Seville.

来自塞维利亚大学的论文同行评审弗朗西斯科?塞朱多认为：“利用植物光合作用系统作为退行性疾病的治疗策略，是一项令人兴奋的成就，它开辟了代谢工程的可能性。”

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