Small particles, Big Impact: Nanoclays

The 20th century was marked by biological discoveries that saved millions of lives, from antibiotics to vaccines. However, some discoveries are transformative not because they themselves cure disease, but because they enable entirely new approaches to medicine. Nanoclays and nanoclay-based hydrogels are one such discovery. Their unique mechanical, chemical and biological properties allow them to effectively interact with living tissues. 

When incorporated into hydrogels, nanoclays form injectable, self-healing materials capable of controlled drug delivery, tissue reinforcement and minimally invasive implantation. These are only a minority of the properties which make nanoclay gels a powerful discovery with the potential to revolutionise areas such as joint repair, spinal infusions and regenerative medicine. There are also many uses of nanoclays outside of the world of biology, for example, in aerospace, wastewater treatment and construction. In this essay, I argue that nanoclays represent one of the greatest biological discoveries of the 20th century due to their transformative potential and wide-ranging applications. 

Clays are abundant, low cost, and environmentally friendly so have been used by humanity for thousands of years. Ancient Mesopotamians applied clay to wounds to prevent hemorrhaging from as early as 2500 BC, and historical records from 1500 BC describe clay-based remedies for various diseases (1). 

While technology has advanced, transforming our day to day lives in ways no one ever thought possible, research into nanoclays has advanced also. One interesting piece of research using next-generation sequencing technology (RNA seq) demonstrated that nanoclays influence over 4000 genes (1); it is believed there are between 20,000 and 25,000 different genes in the human genome. With the developing research, nanoclays could one day impact us all in a variety of ways. Whether it's drug delivery or tissue regeneration, the opportunities are endless. 

Due to their biocompatible characteristics, unique shape, high surface area to volume ratio and charge, nanoclays are investigated for various modern biomedical applications (2).  Their mineral structure was first discovered by Linus Pauling using X-ray techniques (1). Clay minerals consist of sedimentary rocks and derived soils made of layered particles that feature one or more phyllosilicate minerals (composed of a silicate crystal structure). Their basic building blocks consist of alternating tetrahedral SiO4 and octahedral AlO6 sheets. It is the ratio of these sheets within the structure which leads to the various types and properties of nanoclays. For example, one of the first nanoclays to be discovered, Laponite, consists of two SiO6 sheets sandwiching one AlO6 sheet. This allows for water and ions to enter the interlayer space, making it known for its unique ability to swell dramatically with water. Laponite was invented in 1962 by clay scientist Barbara Neumann (3), ultimately initiating the growth in the use of nanoclays in the 20th century. It is once these nanoclays were mixed with hydrogel that the scientific magic began.  

Among all the applications of nanoclays, there is one in particular which recently caught my attention. The company, Renovos, is a team of scientists who work with nanoclay at the heart of their research. I was fortunate enough to spend a week in the labs, where members of the team are located at the University of Southampton. Renovos created a unique orthobiologic, with the use of nanoclay and BMP-2. BMP-2 (Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2) is a crucial growth factor for bone and tissue formation which is widely used in medicine. One example is a collagen cage soaked in BMP-2, which is used in spinal fusions. However, there are several dangerous complications which come with this type of surgery: massive swelling and bone forming in the wrong place. BMP-2 is so powerful that when injected into muscle, the muscle itself would become bone. To overcome these challenges, Renovos have developed RENOVITE BMP-2; an injectable carrier which binds and delivers BMP-2 to allow precise templating of new, denser bone formation, and therefore safer and more efficient bone fusion (4). Without the use of the nanoclay, this would not be possible and the dangers would still be prominent. Currently the company is going through regulation to release their product as a device in the USA. They hope that one day their device will be used by the NHS, to help the ageing population as well as the increasingly active younger demographics who are also prone to trauma, injury or disease.  New regenerative approaches are desperately needed, and I strongly believe Renovos have found a solution.   

You may be querying how exactly the device works? RENOVITE BMP-2 nanoclay is injectable and ready to use. It is injected into the body during minimally invasive surgeries where it  remains precisely where injected, due to its unique ability to bind and stabilise biological molecules which aid in cross-linking the gel. This therefore mitigates its effect to a precisely controlled area. The device promotes cell recruitment, attachment and mitigation while also allowing unprecedented retention of biologics (signalling molecules that stimulate stem cells to repair and regenerate our bodies). It templates even formation of organised, mature bone while also biodegrading as new bone forms (4). RENOVITE BMP-2 brings precision to the power of biologics through pioneering use of nanoclay gels stemming from world-class stem cell research. 

Despite their transformative promise, the use of nanoclay gels within the human body is not without risk. Because nanoclays operate at such a microscopic scale, they may interact unpredictably with cell membranes, proteins or genetic material. Uncertainty also remains about how the body biodegrades of these particles, and whether life-long exposure could disrupt normal biological processes. Yet these risks do not diminish their significance, instead they underscore the need for rigorous research and ethical oversight. One study showed that synthetic nanoclay gels do not cause skin irritation in healthy human volunteers. To achieve this statement, nanoclay gels of concentrations of 1.5% and 3% were applied to the forearm of healthy volunteers for 24 hours. No skin irritation or abnormal response was recorded. However, the control of 1% sodium lauryl sulfate, a known irritant, induced significant increases in skin erythema. 

A conclusion was therefore formed that nanoclay is not an irritant and is thus suitable for therapeutic interventions at the skin surface (5). Like antibiotics and vaccines before them, nanoclay gels represent a powerful biological breakthrough whose careful application defines their legacy as one of the greatest discoveries of the twentieth century.  

In conclusion, nanoclays transformed biology by redefining how life could be studied and engineered at the nanoscale. Through applications like RENOVITE BMP-2, they demonstrate the ability to safely and precisely manipulate biological processes, creating therapies that were unimaginable decades ago. By bridging historical knowledge with modern technology, nanoclays have not only advanced medicine but have permanently expanded the possibilities of biology itself. While unifying geology, chemistry and biology in a way no one thought possible, nanoclays have earned their status as one of the greatest biological discoveries of the twentieth century. 

1. Katti, K.S., Jasuja, H., Jaswandkar, S.V., Mohanty, S. and Katti, D.R. (2022). Nanoclays in medicine: a new frontier of an ancient medical practice. In: Materials Advances. Department of Civil Construction and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo.
2. Gaharwar AK, Cross LM, Peak CW, Gold K, Carrow JK, Brokesh A, et al. (2019). 2D Nanoclay for Biomedical Applications: Regenerative Medicine, Therapeutic Delivery, and Additive Manufacturing. In: Advanced Material. Wiley Advanced.
3. Shafran K, Jeans C, Kemp SJ, Murphy K. Dr Barbara S. Neumann: clay scientist and industrial pioneer; creator of Laponite®. Clay Minerals. (2020) 256–60.
4. Renovos [17th December 2025] URL: https://www.renovos.co.uk/
5. Bostan LE, Clarkin CE, Mousa M, Worsley PR, Bader DL, Dawson JI, et al. Synthetic Nanoclay Gels Do Not Cause Skin Irritation in Healthy Human Volunteers. ACS biomaterials science & engineering (2021). URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33825442/