Gelatin Methacrylic Acid Hydrogel-Based Nerve Growth Factors Enhances Neural Stem Cell Growth and Differentiation to Promote Repair of Spinal Cord Injury

International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2024 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S480484 · Published: October 19, 2024

Spinal Cord Injury Regenerative Medicine Biomedical

Simple Explanation

The challenge in treating irreversible nerve tissue damage has resulted in suboptimal outcomes for spinal cord injuries (SCI), underscoring the critical need for innovative treatment strategies to offer hope to patients. Gelatin methacrylic acid is a photosensitive bio-hydrogel material prepared by methacrylate anhydride (MA) and gelatin (Gelatin), which has excellent biocompatibility. This synthetic macromolecule material can be stimulated by ultraviolet light or visible light curing reaction to form a three-dimensional structure suitable for cell growth and differentiation with certain strength for tissue regeneration and repair. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of gel/NGF scaffolds in the treatment of SCI to promote long-term repair of SCI.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

12-week-old female C57BL/6 mice weighing 20–22 g

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Achieving nerve growth factors sustained release, GMNF had good biocompatibility and could effectively penetrate into the cells with good targeting permeability.
2
GMNF could better enhance the activity of NPCs and promote their directional differentiation into mature neuronal cells in vitro, which could exert a good neural repair function.
3
In vivo, SCI mice treated with GMNF recovered their motor abilities more effectively and showed better wound healing by macroscopic observation of the coronal surface of their SCI area.

Research Summary

In this study, we innovatively constructed a nanocomplex to achieve more effective repair after spinal cord injury. Through in vitro and in vivo experiments, we found that this biomaterial can effectively deliver NGF to tissues and cells, and it can promote the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells and the growth and development of neurons more efficiently, thus accelerating the recovery process of spinal cord injury. By studying the physicochemical and biological properties of GMNF, we found that this complex can penetrate cells well and release the drugs they carry continuously and stably for 3–4 weeks, which is very necessary for spinal cord repair. The results confirmed that GMNF could better promote the repair of SCI area in mice models as well as the proliferation and differentiation of NSCs, thus restoring nerve conduction and improving their behavioral ability.

Practical Implications

Effective NGF Delivery

GMNF effectively delivers NGF to tissues and cells, promoting neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation.

Enhanced SCI Repair

GMNF promotes SCI repair in vivo, improving nerve conduction and behavioral ability in SCI models.

Potential Therapeutic Material

The application of GMNF composite scaffolds shows great potential in SCI treatment, indicating its potential as a therapeutic bioactive material.

Study Limitations

1
Study did not conduct an in-depth study of the extent to which GelMA gel scaffolds alleviate the inflammatory state in the SCI region.
2
The lack of focus on the inflammatory microenvironment may limit understanding of the full effect of GelMA.
3
Further studies should focus on the role of GelMA in the inflammatory microenvironment to better understand its mechanism.

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