Nano Neuro Knitting: using nanotechnology to repair the brain and spinal cord

摘要

After traumatic brain and spinal cord injury several formidable barriers must be overcome, such as scar tissue formation after injury and the failure of many adult neurons to initiate axonal extension. Here we show that a more permissive environment can be created using regeneration-enhancing factors (REF), such as scar-reducing materials or chemical growth factors, delivered in liquid form or through cells. Our results show both restoration of function after spinal cord injury in rats as well as a more rapid functional return of vision in the brain of adult hamsters, indicating that SAPNS provides a true three dimensional (3D) environment for the migration of living cells.