Autologous Marrow-Derived Stem Cell-Seeded Gene-Supplemented Collagen Scaffolds for Spinal Cord Regeneration as a Treatment for Paralysis

摘要

The long-term objective of this research is to develop a device for treating spinal cord injury. The specific aims of the proposed study are to test new types of collagen biomaterials. Moreover we will be investigating the effects of incorporating genes from nerve growth factors into the collagen scaffolds and seeding the scaffolds with neurogenic cells. The standardized defect site is a 5-mm gap in the rat thoracic spinal cord. Our principal method of evaluation is histomorphometry. During the past project year the following were accomplished, toward achieving the objectives of determining the effects of selected design variables on the reparative processes in spinal cord defects: 1) investigation of nanoparticles, as carriers of genes for neurotrophic factors, to be incorporated into collagen scaffolds for implantation into spinal cord defects; 2) development of an injectable collagen formulation as a carrier for plasmid DNA encoding for neurotrophic factors; 3) formulation of collagen scaffolds containing hyaluronic acid; and 4) investigation of the conditions in vitro for the neuro-differentiation of neural stem cells.