α-Gal Nanoparticles in CNS Trauma: I. In Vitro Activation of Microglia Towards a Pro-Healing State

Regeneration in Mice of Injured Skin, Heart, and Spinal Cord by α-Gal Nanoparticles Recapitulates Regeneration in Amphibians

“…Moreover, as shown in Figure 5 G,H, macrophages infiltrating into crushed spinal cord injected with α-gal nanoparticles display M2 polarization as well [ 66 ]. We also found that microglia, the resident macrophages of the CNS, are similarly activated by α-gal nanoparticles and show many of the similar pro-regenerative characteristics of their blood borne counterparts [ 50 ]. Therefore, we hypothesized that administration of α-gal nanoparticles into crushed spinal cord in anti-Gal-producing GT-KO mice may result in regeneration of the spinal cord, due to localized VEGF secretion by the recruited and activated macrophages and microglia, similar to the steps presented in Figure 1 B [ 66 ].…”

“…After drying of the phospholipid, cholesterol, and glycolipid extract, the mixture was resuspended in saline by extensive sonication, resulting in the formation of submicroscopic liposomes (i.e., nanoparticles) presenting multiple α-gal epitopes ( Figure 1 A). The nanoparticles have an average size of ~300 nm, an average zeta potential of ~27 mV, and a polydispersity index of 0.988 [ 50 ].…”