‘New way of thinking’: Chinese researchers unveil unique strategy for tissue regeneration, function
- Tiny implants containing neural stem cells can repair and regenerate tissue and bone with the help of nerves, scientists say
- Versatile platform restores more function than current therapeutic approaches, holds promise for patients with serious injuries like spinal cord injuries
Researchers in China have unveiled a new method of repairing injured tissue with the guidance of nerves, a strategy that could help patients with serious injuries, such as spinal cord injuries leading to paralysis, restore more function than current therapeutic approaches.
This new generation of neural construct implants – made of neural stem cells and inorganic biomaterials – was able to repair injured tissue and bone in rats with the guidance of nerves.
Tissue regeneration involves a complicated coordination of multiple body systems and signal pathways, including the central nervous system.
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These attempts have led to “unsatisfactory therapeutic outcomes” for tissue engineering approaches, the researchers noted in their paper.
To address this gap, scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a “new generation” of 3D-bioprinted neural constructs – a small implant containing neural stem cells – which they observed was able to regenerate skeletal muscle and bone in rats.
The new neural construct “could provide a versatile platform for promoting multiple tissue regeneration” including the recovery of tissue function, the paper said.
“The leading role of the nervous system in the human body means that reconstructing the neural components of injured sites is essential for ideal tissue regeneration and functional recovery,” the researchers said in their paper.
However, neural stem cells have drawbacks – they are fragile, and their differentiation is not controlled, which has limited their practical use.
To work around the limitations for their neural constructs, the researchers incorporated lithium, calcium and silicon, into a hydrogel along with the neural stem cells to improve survival rates and promote their differentiation into neurons.
The neural constructs – or inorganic bioinks – were then implanted into rats to test their efficacy. The implanted hydrogel dissolved in body heat and left behind the network structures of the stem cells and biomaterials.
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When implanted into paralysed rats with induced spinal injuries, the scientists found that the neural constructs helped to reduce the lesion cavity that formed in the spinal cord as a result of the injury, and promoted the growth of neurons in the area.
The scientists also tested the neural constructs in rats with skull defects, and they discovered that, compared to a control group that had formed more fibrous tissues, the rats with the construct were able to form more new bone.
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The construct’s ability to repair muscle was also tested by implanting them into rats with cut leg muscles. After eight weeks, these rats formed more muscle fibres.
The study did have limitations, however, including potential long-term impact of the neutral constructs on the body’s inflammatory response, and the performance of the neural stem cells over a longer period of time.
“Overall, inorganic-biomaterial/neural stem cell-based neural constructs provide a new way of thinking and a new approach to promoting tissue regeneration from the point of view of neural modulation, which will shed light on biomaterial design for regenerative medicine,” the researchers said in the paper.
