Biomimetic Electrospun Self-Assembling Peptide Scaffolds for Neural Stem Cell Transplantation in Neural Tissue Engineering

Pharmaceutics, 2023 · DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15092261 · Published: August 31, 2023

Simple Explanation

This study focuses on developing a cell carrier for neural stem cells (NSCs) using electrospun scaffolds made of self-assembling peptides (SAPs). These scaffolds are designed to mimic the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) to improve stem cell transplantation outcomes for spinal cord regeneration. The researchers created 2D and 3D constructs using crosslinked, functionalized SAPs and studied their morphology, architecture, and secondary structures. They found that mixing peptides and adding surfactants resulted in thinner, more uniform fibers. In vitro tests showed that NSCs grown on these SAP scaffolds exhibited good proliferation, viability, and differentiation. In vivo biocompatibility assays confirmed that the implanted fibrous channels were well-tolerated by the body.

Study Duration

6 Weeks

Participants

9 adult female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
The addition of both SDS and HYDROSAP led to the formation of tiny, fibrous, and uniform nanofibers without beads-on-string morphology and with a very narrow diameter distribution between 100–300 nm.
2
Electrospinning process showed significant differences with regards to increasing β-sheet and α-helix.
3
The gliosis response for FAQ(LDLK)3gp extruded and FAQ(LDLK)3gp electrospun scaffolds were significantly different. After 6 weeks, the extruded scaffold had higher gliosis than the electrospun group.

Research Summary

This study explores the potential of electrospun self-assembling peptide (SAP) scaffolds for neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation in spinal cord regeneration. The scaffolds are designed to mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) and enhance stem cell outcomes. The study investigates the impact of surfactants and multi-functionalized SAPs on nanofiber formation and morphology during electrospinning, finding that the addition of SDS and HYDROSAP results in finer, more uniform nanofibers. In vitro and in vivo tests demonstrate that the scaffolds support NSC proliferation, viability, and differentiation, with the electrospun microchannels showing less astrocytosis in vivo, suggesting their potential as biomimetic neural conduits for spinal cord injury regeneration.

Practical Implications

Improved Spinal Cord Injury Treatment

The development of effective scaffolds can significantly improve stem cell transplantation outcomes for spinal cord regeneration, offering a promising therapeutic strategy.

Advanced Tissue Engineering

The use of biomimetic SAP scaffolds provides a reproducible and affordable method for creating complex tissue-like constructs, advancing the field of tissue engineering.

Clinical Translation Potential

The fully synthetic nature of SAPs and their compatibility with standard solid-phase peptide synthesis allows for high-scale GMP production, facilitating their translation into clinical applications.

Study Limitations

1
The long-term effects of the implanted scaffolds were not evaluated.
2
The study focused on a specific type of spinal cord injury model, limiting the generalizability of the findings.
3
Further research is needed to optimize the scaffold composition and structure for enhanced neural regeneration.

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