PCL/gelatin nanofibrous scaffolds with human endometrial stem cells/Schwann cells facilitate axon regeneration in spinal cord injury

Abstract

The significant consequences of spinal cord injury (SCI) include sensory and motor disability resulting from the death of neuronal cells and axon degeneration. In this respect, overcoming the consequences of SCI including the recovery of sensory and motor functions is considered to be a difficult tasks that requires attention to multiple aspects of treatment. The breakthrough in tissue engineering through the integration of biomaterial scaffolds and stem cells has brought a new hope for the treatment of SCI. In the present study, human endometrial stem cells (hEnSCs) were cultured with human Schwann cells (hSC) in transwells, their differentiation into nerve‐like cells was confirmed by quantitative real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) and immunocytochemistry techniques. The differentiated cells (co‐hEnSC) were then seeded on the poly ε‐caprolactone (PCL)/gelatin scaffolds. The SEM images displayed the favorable seeding and survival of the cells on the scaffolds. The seeded scaffolds were then transplanted into hemisected SCI rats. The growth of neuronal cells was confirmed with immunohistochemical study using NF‐H as a neuronal marker. Finally, the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) test confirmed the recovery of sensory and motor functions. The results suggested that combination therapy using the differentiated hEnSC seeded on PCL/gelatin scaffolds has the potential to heal the injured spinal cord and to limit the secondary damage.

Novel cytokine-loaded PCL-PEG scaffold composites for spinal cord injury repair

“…Based on this theory, we selected PCL, a biodegradable and aliphatic polysaccharide, as a multifunctional tools to bridge the lesion gap in order to allow axon growth, create a more favorable endogenous environment combined with the surrounding hydrogels. 41,42 Delivering broblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) into the hydrogel increased the production of axon growth-supportive substrates, such as laminin. 9 Delivering glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), which was reacted with GDNFR expressed on the propriospinal axons, into the hydrogel further chemoattractted axon regeneration.…”

Hydrogels in Spinal Cord Injury Repair: A Review

“… Wong et al (2008) implanted PCL into an animal model of total transection of SCI, and its open microchannel structure facilitates axon regeneration and myelination. Babaloo et al (2019) combined PCL with gelatin to improve cell adhesion and material degradation rate, as well as promote neuronal and myelin regeneration. The starch-PCL 3D composite scaffold can protected the injured area and promoted the recovery of behavioral function ( Silva et al, 2013 ).…”

Human Schwann Cell Transplantation for Spinal Cord Injury: Prospects and Challenges in Translational Medicine

“…While most hSC studies consisted of clinical investigations, fragmentary literature exists regarding hSC xenotransplants (Figure 3b). We identified only 6 studies reporting results from nerve-and stem cell-derived hSC transplantation in adult nude rats (Guest et al, 1997a(Guest et al, , 2005Bastidas et al, 2017), Sprague Dawley rats (Babaloo et al, 2019), and Wistar rats (Kamada et al, 2005) using dorsal hemisection (Babaloo et al, 2019), transection (Guest et al, 1997a(Guest et al, , 2005Yan-Wu et al, 2011) and contusion injuries (Kamada et al, 2005;Bastidas et al, 2017). There were no reports of hSC transplantation in large animal models of SCI.…”