Nerve growth factor delivery by ultrasound-mediated nanobubble destruction as a treatment for acute spinal cord injury in rats

International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2017 · DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S128848 · Published: March 2, 2017

Simple Explanation

Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) can cause severe disability or death, and current treatments are not fully effective. This study explores using ultrasound to deliver nerve growth factor (NGF) via nanobubbles (tiny bubbles) to help nerves regenerate after SCI in rats. The researchers used ultrasound to burst the nanobubbles containing NGF near the injured spinal cord. They then compared the results to groups treated with saline, NGF alone, or NGF with ultrasound but without nanobubbles. The study found that this method significantly increased NGF expression, reduced injury and neuron loss, inhibited neuronal apoptosis, and improved functional outcomes in rats with SCI. This suggests that ultrasound-mediated NGF delivery via nanobubbles shows promise as a noninvasive treatment for SCI.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Adult male Sprague Dawley rats (180–200 g)

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
NGF therapy using US-mediated NGF/PLGA NBs destruction significantly increased NGF expression in injured spinal cords of rats.
2
The treatment attenuated histological injury, decreased neuron loss, and inhibited neuronal apoptosis in the injured spinal cords.
3
Rats treated with US-mediated NGF/PLGA NBs destruction showed increased BBB scores, indicating improved neural function recovery after SCI.

Research Summary

This study investigates the effectiveness of ultrasound (US)-mediated destruction of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanobubbles (NBs) expressing nerve growth factor (NGF) (NGF/PLGA NBs) on nerve regeneration in rats following spinal cord injury (SCI). The results demonstrated that NGF therapy using US-mediated NGF/PLGA NBs destruction significantly increased NGF expression, attenuated histological injury, decreased neuron loss, inhibited neuronal apoptosis in injured spinal cords, and increased BBB scores in rats with SCI. The study concludes that US-mediated NGF/PLGA NBs destruction effectively transfects the NGF gene into target tissues and has a significant effect on the injured spinal cord, suggesting a promising noninvasive treatment option for SCI and other diseases.

Practical Implications

Targeted Gene Therapy

The study suggests that US-mediated NGF/PLGA NBs destruction can be used as an effective method for targeted gene delivery in SCI treatment.

Non-invasive Treatment Option

The combination of US irradiation and gene therapy through NGF/PLGA NBs holds great promise for the development of noninvasive treatment options for SCI.

Future of Nanomedicine

This research contributes to the advancement of nanomedicine by demonstrating the potential of nanobubbles as drug or gene carriers for central nervous system disorders.

Study Limitations

1
The difficulty for ultrasonic waves to reach the bone-protected spinal cord in patients who do not receive decompression surgery.
2
Low-frequency US waves used in this study may have released NGF into other organs, causing supernumerary biological effects.
3
The follow-up period was short-term, necessitating long-term observation of neural functional recovery in future studies.

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