A 3D-Printed Dual Driving Forces Scaffold with Self-Promoted Cell Absorption for Spinal Cord Injury Repair

The study introduces a novel cell delivery platform called the hyper expansion scaffold (HES) designed to improve the efficiency of cell therapies for spinal cord injury (SCI). The HES platform uses a dual driving force model, combining macroscopic swelling forces and microscale capillary action, to facilitate self-promoted and efficient cell absorption, enabling high cell loading. In rat SCI models, the HES loaded with human amniotic epithelial stem cells (hAESCs) promoted functional recovery and axonal projection by reducing neuroinflammation and improving the environment around the injury.

• 1
  The HES rapidly expanded 80-fold in size upon absorbing 2.6 million hAESCs within 2 minutes, representing over a 400% increase in loading capacity versus controls.
• 2
  HES–hAESCs treatment significantly improved hindlimb locomotion, as shown by discontinuous weight-bearing crawling and active signals of motor evoked potential (MEP).
• 3
  HES–hAESCs effectively improved the tissue microenvironment and ameliorated motor deficits in SCI rats through hAESCs-mediated inhibition of the immune response, and increased levels of neurotrophic factors around the lesions.