Recovery of motor function after traumatic spinal cord injury by using plasma-synthesized polypyrrole/iodine application in combination with a mixed rehabilitation scheme

Evolution of Spinal Cord Transection of Rhesus Monkey Implanted with Polymer Synthesized by Plasma Evaluated by Diffusion Tensor Imaging

“…In this work a SCIT was carried out in non-human primates, one with implanted of PPPyI (RHI) and other just with the injury (RHC), the effect of the PPPyI in RHI is in accordance with the previous work in murines, in which, the use of PPPy in different models of SCI has promoted mechanisms of neuroprotection, contributing in the stimulation of motor plasticity mechanisms and in the histoarchitecture conservation, increasing the motor functional recovery of the experimental subjects [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]; DTI showed capacity to evaluate the evolution in vivo of the SCIT in NHP emphasizing the difference between the RHI and RHC.…”

“…Polymers such as collagen/silk fibroin, polyethylene glycol, poly- β -hydroxybutyrate, chitosan tube, poly(ε-caprolactone), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), and polymers synthesized by plasma derived from pyrrole (PPPyI) have been proposed with encouraging results in the treatment of SCI [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], it has been described that polymers implanted after a SCI have beneficial effects such as: promoting functional recovery, axonal remyelination, preservation of nervous tissue adjacent to the epicentre of the injury, decrease in the number of reactive astrocytes, among others; although commonly the aforementioned effects do not occur together, in addition to not being attributed only to the polymer, but have been associated with the combination with drugs, cells or other agents [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. While PPPyI has been reported to have neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects per se .…”

“…This can be attributed to the plasma synthesis of the polymer, with which polymers with physical-chemical characteristics different are obtained [ 17 ]. Additionally, it has been shown that combining rehabilitation with the PPPyI implant promotes the expression of βIII-tubulin (molecule related to nerve plasticity), reduces glial scar formation, favours the preservation of nerve tissue, nerve fibres cross the injured site and recovery of motor function is observed [ 16 ]. PPPyI implanted in adult rats with SCI by both, transection and contusion models, favour protection of nervous tissue adjacent to the lesion and the functional recovery of animals, significantly [ 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”

Pyrrole Plasma Polymer-Coated Electrospun Scaffolds for Neural Tissue Engineering

“…Plasma synthetized pyrrole polymer has been studied doped (pPPy/I) and undoped (pPPy) with iodine for its interactions with biological tissue, such as bone tissue [30,31], cartilage [32], pancreatic cells [33], fibroblasts [34], and neurons [35]. Moreover, pPPy/I has been thoroughly studied for its potential to protect neural tissue after damage [36][37][38][39][40][41][42]. PPPy/I has been studied as an implant in rats for the treatment of contusion and transection models of spinal cord injury (SCI), providing functional and histoarchitectural recovery for the animals after its implant.…”

“…PPPy/I has been studied as an implant in rats for the treatment of contusion and transection models of spinal cord injury (SCI), providing functional and histoarchitectural recovery for the animals after its implant. In contusion models, pPPy/I has been implanted as particles of the polymer in suspension through an injection at the injury site [36][37][38][39]. In transection models of SCI, pPPy/I has been implanted as a tablet at the transection site [40][41][42], yet other forms of implant as a treatment for traumatic and nontraumatic disease in the nervous system remain unexplored.…”