Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
An injectable HA hydrogel was investigated by Liang and co-workers
for enhancement of the survival of transplanted mouse C17.2 cells,
human neural progenitor cells (ReN), and human glial-restricted
precursors (GRP) [51]. Their work demonstrated that a HA
hydrogel scaffold can improve the survival and proliferation of the
three different cell lines in immunocompetent and immunodeficient
animals. The hydrogel can protect xenografted cells as evidenced by
the prolonged survival of C17.2 cells implanted in immunocompetent
rats. The survival of human ReN and human GRP implanted into
the brain of immunocompetent or immunodeficient mice was also
significantly improved after hydrogel scaffolding. Although a mild
inflammatory response towards the implanted hydrogel was observed
in immunocompetent mice, requiring further optimisation, hydrogel
scaffolding should be considered as a possible means to enhance the
engraftment of otherwise poorly surviving cell types.
Mothe and co-workers used a hydrogel of HA-MC to deliver adult
brain-derived neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPC) into a subacute
model of rat spinal cord injury [52]. Prior to use, HA-MC was
covalently modified with recombinant rat platelet-derived growth
factor-A (rPDGF-A) to promote oligodendrocytic differentiation. Rats
with NSPC/HA-MC-rPDGF-A transplants had a significant reduction
in cavitation, improved graft survival, increased oligodendrocytic
differentiation, and sparing of perilesional host oligodendrocytes and
neurons. Transplantation of NSPC embedded in HA-MC hydrogel
into injured rats showed improved behavioural recovery compared
to the control group with NSPC only.
6.5 Concluding Remarks and Future Perspectives
The high complexity of brain tissue makes it unusually challenging
to fully regenerate damaged neural tissues and restore neurological
functions. In the past decade, brain tissue engineering has been a
very promising strategy for neural regeneration in the brain and has
attracted more and more attention. The cumulative progress which
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