Co-culturing neural and bone mesenchymal stem cells in photosensitive hydrogel enhances spinal cord injury repair

Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol., 2024 · DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1431420 · Published: December 16, 2024

Spinal Cord Injury Regenerative Medicine Biomedical

Simple Explanation

Spinal cord injuries are difficult to heal, and stem cell transplants are a promising new treatment. However, stem cells often turn into the wrong kind of cell (astrocytes) after being transplanted. This study aims to improve stem cell therapy by using a special gel to support a mix of two types of stem cells: neural stem cells (NSCs) and bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). The researchers created a hydrogel scaffold, a material similar to neural tissue, where NSCs and BMSCs could grow together. They tested different versions of the scaffold and found that NSCs and BMSCs grew better and were more likely to turn into neurons when the scaffold was soft. The team then implanted the cell-filled scaffolds into rats with spinal cord injuries. The rats that received the combined NSC/BMSC treatment showed improved motor function and less scar tissue formation in their spinal cords.

Study Duration

8 Weeks

Participants

90 female SD rats

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Low-modulus GelMA hydrogels promote cell migration, viability, and proliferation of co-cultured NSCs and BMSCs in vitro.
2
Co-culturing NSCs and BMSCs within GelMA hydrogels enhances neuronal differentiation and inhibits astrocyte proliferation.
3
Transplantation of NSCs/BMSCs-laden GelMA hydrogels in SCI rats reduces lesion volume, promotes neural regeneration, and suppresses scar formation, leading to improved motor function recovery.

Research Summary

This study investigates the use of co-cultured neural stem cells (NSCs) and bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) within a low-modulus GelMA hydrogel scaffold to enhance spinal cord injury (SCI) repair. In vitro results demonstrated that the low-modulus GelMA hydrogel promoted cell migration, viability, proliferation, and neuronal differentiation of the co-cultured cells, while inhibiting astrocyte proliferation. In vivo experiments using a rat SCI model showed that transplantation of the NSCs/BMSCs-laden GelMA hydrogel reduced lesion volume, promoted neural regeneration, suppressed scar formation, and improved motor function recovery.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Strategy

The co-culture of NSCs and BMSCs within low-modulus hydrogels presents a promising therapeutic approach for spinal cord injury repair.

Biomaterial Design

The study highlights the importance of biomaterial properties, particularly mechanical properties, in influencing stem cell fate and promoting tissue regeneration.

Clinical Translation

The findings offer a foundation for developing novel cell-based therapies utilizing biomimetic hydrogel scaffolds for treating SCI in clinical settings.

Study Limitations

1
Additional verification is required to ascertain whether BMSCs within the co-transplanted stent can persist or are eliminated following SCI treatment.
2
The absence of observed staining for mature neurons post-treatment necessitates further investigation and validation in future research endeavors.
3
This study is limited by the lack of long-term follow-up data.

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