Robust CNS regeneration after complete spinal cord transection using aligned poly-L-lactic acid microfibers

Following a spinal cord injury, the nerve fibers in the spinal cord, called axons, usually don't regrow on their own without some kind of help. In this study, researchers used tiny, aligned fibers made of a special material to bridge a gap in the spinal cord after it was completely cut. They found that these aligned fibers helped the spinal cord tissue to regrow across the gap. This regrowth included not only nerve fibers but also other important cells like astrocytes, and the regrown fibers were able to connect different parts of the spinal cord, suggesting a potential way to repair spinal cord injuries.

• 1
  Aligned poly-L-lactic acid (PLA) microfibers promote long-distance axonal regeneration in a rat model of complete spinal cord transection.
• 2
  The aligned microfibers facilitated infiltration of host tissue and closure of the initial 3 mm gap by endogenous cell populations.
• 3
  Retrograde tracing indicated that regenerating axons originated from propriospinal neurons of the rostral spinal cord, and supraspinal neurons of the reticular formation, red nucleus, raphe and vestibular nuclei.