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Anisotropic Alginate Hydrogels Promote Axonal Growth across Chronic Spinal Cord Transections after Scar Removal
journal contribution
posted on 2020-03-10, 20:44 authored by Lulu Huang, Yu Wang, Mingxin Zhu, Xueyan Wan, Huaqiu Zhang, Ting Lei, Armin Blesch, Shengwen LiuWe
have previously reported that cell-seeded alginate hydrogels
(AHs) with anisotropic capillaries can restore the continuity of the
spinal cord and support axonal regeneration in a rat model of acute
partial spinal cord transection. Whether similar effects can be found
after transplantation into sites of complete chronic spinal cord transections
without additional growth-promoting stimuli has not been investigated.
We therefore implanted AHs into the cavity of a chronic thoracic transection
following scar resection (SR) 4 weeks postinjury and examined electrophysiological
and functional recovery as well as regeneration of descending and
ascending projections within and beyond the AH scaffold up to 3 months
after engraftment. Our results indicate that both electrophysiological
conductivity and locomotor function are significantly improved after
AH engraftment. SR transiently impairs locomotor function immediately
after surgery but does not affect long-term outcomes. Histological
analysis shows numerous host cells migrating into the scaffold channels
and a reduction of fibroglial scaring around the lesion by AH grafts.
In contrast to corticospinal axons, raphaespinal and propriospinal
descending axons and ascending sensory axons regenerate throughout
the scaffolds and extend into the distal host parenchyma. These results
further support the pro-regenerative properties of AHs and their therapeutic
potential for chronic SCI in combination with other strategies to
improve functional outcomes after spinal cord injury.
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AH scaffoldcord transections4 weeks postinjuryrat modelscaffold channelsAH graftscord transectionSCIsupport axonal regenerationcorticospinal axonsanisotropic capillariescord injuryScar Removal3 monthsAnisotropic Alginate Hydrogels Promote Axonal GrowthChronic Spinal Cord Transectionsthoracic transectionhost cellsgrowth-promoting stimulihost parenchymascar resectionHistological analysiscell-seeded alginate hydrogelslocomotor functionelectrophysiological conductivityAH engraftmentpro-regenerative propertiesSR transiently impairs locomotor function
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