@article{1504a45791c14aa8813d27b57e6ae81d,
title = "The effect of a nanofiber-hydrogel composite on neural tissue repair and regeneration in the contused spinal cord",
abstract = "An injury to the spinal cord causes long-lasting loss of nervous tissue because endogenous nervous tissue repair and regeneration at the site of injury is limited. We engineered an injectable nanofiber-hydrogel composite (NHC) with interfacial bonding to provide mechanical strength and porosity and examined its effect on repair and neural tissue regeneration in an adult rat model of spinal cord contusion. At 28 days after treatment with NHC, the width of the contused spinal cord segment was 2-fold larger than in controls. With NHC treatment, tissue in the injury had a 2-fold higher M2/M1 macrophage ratio, 5-fold higher blood vessel density, 2.6-fold higher immature neuron presence, 2.4-fold higher axon density, and a similar glial scar presence compared with controls. Spared nervous tissue volume in the contused segment and hind limb function was similar between groups. Our findings indicated that NHC provided mechanical support to the contused spinal cord and supported pro-regenerative macrophage polarization, angiogenesis, axon growth, and neurogenesis in the injured tissue without any exogenous factors or cells. These results motivate further optimization of the NHC and delivery protocol to fully translate the potential of the unique properties of the NHC for treating spinal cord injury.",
keywords = "Angiogenesis, Axonal growth, Composite, Hydrogel, Macrophage polarization, Nanofiber, Neurogenesis, Spinal cord injury",
author = "Xiaowei Li and Chi Zhang and Haggerty, {Agnes E.} and Jerry Yan and Michael Lan and Michelle Seu and Mingyu Yang and Marlow, {Megan M.} and In{\'e}s Maldonado-Lasunci{\'o}n and Brian Cho and Zhengbing Zhou and Long Chen and Russell Martin and Yohshiro Nitobe and Kentaro Yamane and Hua You and Sashank Reddy and Quan, {Da Ping} and Martin Oudega and Mao, {Hai Quan}",
note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke ( R21NS085714 to H.-Q.M.), Coulter Foundation Translational Grant (H.-Q.M.), the Cohen Translational Engineering Fund (H.-Q.M.), Louis B. Thalheimer Award for Translational Research (H.-Q.M.), the Abell Foundation Translational Award (H.-Q.M.), the National Institutes of Health ( NS101298 to M.O.), Craig H. Neilsen Foundation ( 460461 to M.O.), and The Department of Veterans Affairs ( I01RX001807 to M.O.). X.L. acknowledges the AHA Career Development Award ( 18CDA34110314 ). Funding Information: This work was supported by the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R21NS085714 to H.-Q.M.), Coulter Foundation Translational Grant (H.-Q.M.), the Cohen Translational Engineering Fund (H.-Q.M.), Louis B. Thalheimer Award for Translational Research (H.-Q.M.), the Abell Foundation Translational Award (H.-Q.M.), the National Institutes of Health (NS101298 to M.O.), Craig H. Neilsen Foundation (460461 to M.O.), and The Department of Veterans Affairs (I01RX001807 to M.O.). X.L. acknowledges the AHA Career Development Award (18CDA34110314). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 Elsevier Ltd",
year = "2020",
month = jul,
doi = "10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.119978",
language = "English",
volume = "245",
journal = "Biomaterials",
issn = "0142-9612",
publisher = "Elsevier BV",
}