Mechanical Environment Afforded by Engineered Hydrogel Critically Regulates Survival of Neural Stem Cells Transplanted in the Injured Spinal Cord via Piezo1-Mediated Mechanotransduction.

ABSTRACT: Neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation is a promising therapeutic approach for spinal cord repair, but poor graft survival remains a critical challenge. This work reports that the mechanical properties of the transplantation environment play a crucial role in NSC survival in the injured spinal cord. While this previously developed engineered hydrogel effectively creates extracellular matrix preventing cystic cavity formation, NSCs transplanted as a complex with 10% hydrogel exhibits poor survival. Remarkably, increasing the hydrogel concentration to 16%, creating a fivefold stiffer matrix, significantly enhances NSC graft survival. Using in vitro models with controlled substrate stiffness, this work finds that NSCs on stiffer substrates display enhanced adhesion, complex morphology, and in

SUBMITTER: Park HH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12806497 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature