They were created from fat molecules and DNA. Inside the cell, the DNA converts to RNA and produces proteins. Pores on the outside of the cell open and send proteins into neighbouring living cells and influence them.

Mansy said it sounds like science fiction, but he believes artificial cells could be used for a type of personalized medicine that monitors changing conditions in real-time.

He could see them being used to detect and respond to cancer, deliver antibiotics if the artificial cells detect a bacterial infection, or to release dopamine. Alack of dopamine is believed to cause Parkinsons disease.

If you had artificial cells that were able to assess the levels of dopamine and in very localized environments, and then when the levels drops below whats necessary, it switches on synthesizes some dopamine and releases it, that would be a very effective way of dealing with a specific problem, he said.

I think a lot of people thought this was impossible people were rolling their eyes thinking yeah, why are you trying to do something that, I guess to some people, sounds a bit too sci-fi, but it works Ithink really, the skys the limit with something like this.

One of the main advantages advantage of artificial cells is being able to design them from the ground up for a particular purpose, Mansy said, making them more predictable than using living bacteria for a similar purpose.

lboothby@postmedia.com

@laurby

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Artificial 'smart cells' created by U of A chemist could be used to treat illness at cellular level - Edmonton Journal