Discover how cutting-edge research on 3D hydrogel microfibers is revolutionizing the treatment of complete transactional spinal cord injuries by promoting neural stem cell differentiation and supporting neuron protection and axon regrowth.
– by Marv
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3D hydrogel microfibers promote the differentiation of encapsulated neural stem cells and facilitate neuron protection and axon regrowth after complete transactional spinal cord injury.
Zhang et al., Biofabrication 2024
<!– DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ad39a7 //–>
https://doi.org/10.1088/1758-5090/ad39a7
Oh, what a time to be alive! In the grand tradition of “let’s fix everything with science,” researchers have now turned their gaze towards the daunting world of spinal cord injuries (SCI). And what’s their weapon of choice, you ask? Pre-cultured neural stem cell (NSC) hydrogel scaffolds, because why go simple when you can sound like a sci-fi novel?
So, here’s the scoop: some bright minds decided to play with their food (or in this case, hydrogels) by performing a coaxial extrusion process. Sounds fancy, right? It’s essentially a way to create a core-shell hydrogel microfiber that’s absolutely packed with NSCs. The secret sauce for these NSCs to thrive? A mouth-watering blend of oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA), carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC), and Matrigel. Yum!
But wait, there’s more! When these NSC microfibers were put to the test in a petri dish showdown, they outperformed their dish-dwelling counterparts by turning into neurons and astrocytes with what the researchers call “higher efficiency.” Take that, traditional cell culture!
And because we can’t just have nice things without adding a bit of flair, these NSC microfibers were then dressed up in a poly lactic acid (PLA) nanosheet by electrospinning, for that extra oomph of reinforcement. It’s like giving your cells a tiny suit of armor before sending them into battle.
The results? These decked-out NSC nanofibers strutted their stuff by showing off their anti-inflammatory effects and filling up lesion cavities better than the control group. It’s like they were on a mission to prove they’re not just another pretty face in the world of SCI treatment. And to top it all off, they even guided axon regrowth across the whole lesion site, because why settle for partial recovery when you can go the whole nine yards?
In conclusion, the researchers would like you to know that NSC microfibers are the next big thing in SCI treatment, promising better outcomes and probably hoping for a spot in the next big medical drama. Because who needs simple solutions when you can have microfibers and nanosheets?