Decellularization alters the unfavorable regenerative adverse microenvironment of the injured spinal cord to support neurite outgrowth

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) often result in a microenvironment that hinders axon regeneration. This study investigates how decellularization, a process of removing cellular components from tissues, can modify this microenvironment to promote nerve growth after SCI. The researchers created decellularized normal spinal cord (DNSC) and decellularized injured spinal cord (DISC). They then observed that both DNSC and DISC supported more neurite outgrowth compared to non-decellularized spinal cord tissues. Proteomic analysis showed that decellularization removed proteins associated with inflammation and scarring, which inhibit nerve growth, while preserving ECM proteins beneficial for spinal cord regeneration. This suggests decellularization optimizes the microenvironment after SCI, providing a basis for acellular tissue transplantation to repair SCI.

• 1
  The expression of ECM components (collagen type I and IV, fibronectin, and laminin) increased with SCI progression, peaking at 14 days post-injury.
• 2
  Decellularization effectively removed cellular components while preserving ECM integrity in both normal and injured spinal cords.
• 3
  DNSC and DISC exhibited a stronger ability to support neurite outgrowth compared to NSC and ISC, suggesting decellularization removes inhibitory factors.