Developmentally engineered bio-assemblies releasing neurotrophic exosomes guide in situ neuroplasticity following spinal cord injury

The study introduces a novel bio-assembly called Spinor, created by engineering dental pulp mesenchymal stem cells (DPMSCs). This Spinor is designed to mimic the structure of the spinal cord and release exosomes that promote nerve regeneration. Spinor acts as a 'mothership' for exosomes, delivering them to the injured spinal cord to reduce scarring, decrease inflammation, and encourage axon growth. This approach aims to improve neuroplasticity and functional recovery after spinal cord injury. The developmentally engineered strategy established here will likely have a broad impact on the development of tissue-engineered advanced therapy medicinal products and reinvigorate the efforts for employing stem cells as well as their ramifications in the repair of complex tissues including nervous system.

• 1
  DPMSC-derived exosomes are more effective in promoting nerve regeneration compared to exosomes from other MSC sources like umbilical cord and bone marrow.
• 2
  Spinor releases a greater quantity of exosomes, and these exosomes have an optimized protein composition that is more conducive to nerve regeneration, scar inhibition, and inflammation suppression.
• 3
  In rats with complete spinal cord injury, Spinor treatment resulted in significant improvements in motor function, sensory recovery, and bladder function compared to control groups and those treated with DPMSCs alone.