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A biodegradable inorganic nano-scaffold consisting of stem cells, proteins and drugs for advanced stem cell therapy and drug delivery. Credit: KiBum Lee, Letao Yang and Sy-Tsong Dean Chueng.
Rutgers scientists have created a small biodegradable scaffold for stem cell transplantation and drug delivery that could help treat Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, aging brain degeneration, spinal cord injury and brain trauma
Stem cell transplantation, which seems promising for the treatment of diseases of the central nervous system, has been hampered by low cell survival, incomplete cell differentiation and limited growth of neuronal connections.
For example, Rutgers scientists designed biological scaffolds that mimic natural tissue and performed well in specimens and mice, according to a study conducted by Nature Communications. These nanoscale scaffolds are promising for stem cell transplantation and neural tissue engineering. Stem cell therapy leads stem cells to become neurons and can restore neural circuits.
"The development of a reliable therapeutic method for the treatment of diseases and lesions of the central nervous system has been a major challenge," said KiBum Lee, lead author of the study, a professor in the department of chemistry and of Chemical Biology of Rutgers University of New Brunswick. "Our improved approach to stem cell transplantation is an innovative potential solution."
The researchers, in cooperation with neuroscientists and clinicians, are planning to test nano-scaffolds in large animals and eventually move to clinical trials to treat spinal cord injuries. Scaffolding technology is also promising for regenerative medicine.
Explore further:
The University of Minnesota Announces a Breakthrough in 3D Printing for Spinal Cord Repair
More information:
Letao Yang et al, A biodegradable hybrid inorganic nano-scaffold for advanced stem cell therapy, Nature Communications (2018). DOI: 10.1038 / s41467-018-05599-2
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