Hyaluronic Acid Biomaterials for Central Nervous System Regenerative Medicine

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a key part of the brain's support structure and affects cell behavior in the central nervous system (CNS). Following injury or disease, the balance in the brain is disrupted, altering the environment around cells and their functions, which hinders natural healing processes. To help repair the damage from injuries or diseases, tissue engineering using HA-based materials has been explored for use in CNS regenerative medicine.

• 1
  HA influences cell migration, proliferation, differentiation, and other cell behaviors, playing a significant role in maintaining homeostasis in neuronal tissue.
• 2
  Modifications to HA are largely focused on three distinct functional groups: the glucuronic acid carboxylic acid, the primary and secondary hydroxyl groups, and the N-acetyl group
• 3
  HA-based hydrogels also enable the localized delivery of therapeutic cargo (e.g., stem cells, drugs, growth factors) to areas of CNS damage or disease resulting in improved therapeutic efficacy.