A promising step toward developing therapies based on brain tissue regeneration.
A team of researchers from Hokkaido University has successfully grown new brain tissue using electrically charged hydrogel materials and neural stem cells. This is a significant development since the tissue in our brain doesn't regenerate after being damaged compared to other parts of the body, such as the skin. Therefore, this new approach could pave the way for future treatments for brain damage.that could maintain the survival of neural stem cells.
"When I saw the 3D structure of the porous hydrogels that my colleague Tomáš showed in a meeting, I thought they could be utilized in regenerative treatments as a scaffold for growing nerve cells," said lead author Satoshi Tanikawa in an institutionalAs the next step, the gel was soaked in a growth factor serum to boost blood vessel growth. After that, it was implanted in damaged areas of mouse brains.
Subsequently, the researchers introduced neural stem cells into the hydrogel. After a period of 40 days, the team noted a high survival rate among the stem cells, with some having differentiated into neuronal and neuron-maintaining astrocyte cells.The hydrogel also showed a degree of integration with the host brain tissue as host cells infiltrated the hydrogel. In contrast, some new neuronal cells migrated from the hydrogel to the surrounding brain tissue.
The study is significant for developing therapies based on brain tissue regeneration. The next steps entail determining the optimal timing for transplantation and assessing the impact of the inflammatory response on transplanted cells. "Conditions affecting blood vessels in the brain, such as cerebral infarction, are a major disease," said Tanikawa. "They not only have a high mortality rate, but those that survive struggle with severe after-effects. I think this research will become the foundation for medical treatments that could help such patients."
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