Designer, injectable gels to prevent transplanted Schwann cell loss during spinal cord injury therapy.

ABSTRACT: Transplantation of patient-derived Schwann cells is a promising regenerative medicine therapy for spinal cord injuries; however, therapeutic efficacy is compromised by inefficient cell delivery. We present a materials-based strategy that addresses three common causes of transplanted cell death: (i) membrane damage during injection, (ii) cell leakage from the injection site, and (iii) apoptosis due to loss of endogenous matrix. Using protein engineering and peptide-based assembly, we designed injectable hydrogels with modular cell-adhesive and mechanical properties. In a cervical contusion model, our hydrogel matrix resulted in a greater than 700% improvement in successful Schwann cell transplantation. The combination therapy of cells and gel significantly improved the spatial distribution

SUBMITTER: Marquardt LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7112763 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature