Journal of Tissue Engineering, 2022 · DOI: 10.1177/20417314221086491 · Published: February 23, 2022
Spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts blood circulation and causes tissue damage. Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is crucial for tissue repair after SCI. This study explores the use of self-assembling peptides to promote angiogenesis and functional recovery in rats with SCI. The researchers used an injectable form of RADA16, a self-assembling peptide, with or without substance P, a neuropeptide. They observed that the combination of RADA16 and substance P reduced inflammation, increased vessel number and density, and increased neurofilaments in the injured spinal cord. The study's findings suggest that RADA16 modified with substance P can effectively stimulate angiogenesis within the damaged spinal cord and potentially promote functional recovery after SCI.
RADA16 modified with substance P shows promise as a candidate agent for promoting functional recovery after spinal cord injury due to its ability to stimulate angiogenesis and reduce inflammation.
The study highlights the potential of self-assembling peptides as biomaterials for tissue regeneration, particularly in promoting angiogenesis and nerve regeneration in damaged spinal cords.
Given that RADA16 is already used clinically as a hemostatic agent, the findings suggest a potential for faster clinical translation of RADA16-based therapies for spinal cord injury compared to growth factor-based approaches.