White matter regeneration induced by aligned fibrin nanofiber hydrogel contributes to motor functional recovery in canine T12 spinal cord injury

This study investigates a new treatment for spinal cord injuries using a special gel called aligned fibrin hydrogel (AFG). AFG is designed to help nerves regrow in the injured spinal cord. The study found that AFG helped white matter, which is important for sending signals, to regrow in dogs with spinal cord injuries. The dogs treated with AFG showed better movement and coordination compared to those without the treatment. The results suggest AFG could be a helpful tool for treating spinal cord injuries by encouraging nerve regrowth and improving the ability to move.

• 1
  AFG implantation induced histologically obvious white matter regeneration, consisting of a large area of consecutive, compact, and aligned nerve fibers in canine T12 spinal cord injuries.
• 2
  The canines with AFG implantation showed significant motor functional restoration, starting to stand well with their defective legs from 3 to 4 weeks postoperatively and effortlessly climb the steps from 7 to 8 weeks.
• 3
  High-resolution multi-shot diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) illustrated the spatiotemporal dynamics of nerve regeneration rapidly crossing the lesion within 4 weeks in the AFG group.