The Application of Biomaterials in Spinal Cord Injury

Int. J. Mol. Sci., 2023 · DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010816 · Published: January 3, 2023

Spinal Cord Injury Biomedical Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cells

Simple Explanation

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe neurological condition with limited treatment options. Current treatments include surgery, drugs, stem cell transplantation, and regenerative medicine. Biomaterials, especially tissue engineering and bioscaffolds, show promise by delivering cells or drugs to the injury site. Biomaterials can act as scaffolds, supporting cell attachment, delivery, and growth. They can mimic the natural extracellular matrix (ECM), facilitating cell-tissue binding. Tissue engineering uses biomaterial scaffolds, cells, and neurotrophic factors to repair damaged tissue. This review provides insights into the properties, advantages, and biological activities of various biomaterials in SCI treatment. It aims to inspire future research and application of biomaterials for SCI.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Not specified

Evidence Level

Review

Key Findings

1
Hyaluronic acid (HA) reduces glial scar formation and improves the therapeutic effect of SCI by transporting drugs and stem cells to the injury area, enhancing the survival and differentiation of neural stem cells.
2
Collagen, resembling the ECM, supports cell adhesion, migration, differentiation, and proliferation. It is used as a carrier of neurotrophic factors or designed into scaffolds to deliver drugs, cells, and proteins to SCI injury areas.
3
Nanomaterials, with their unique structures, can deliver therapeutic drugs to targeted locations, reduce side effects, and modulate axonal regeneration. Graphene-based nanomaterials have excellent electrical conductivity, stimulating axonal regeneration.

Research Summary

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to reduced motor, sensory, and autonomic functions, with an increasing incidence worldwide. Regenerative biomaterials offer a promising treatment option by using tissue engineering and bioscaffolds to deliver cells or drugs to the injured site. Biomaterials, both natural and synthetic, are utilized in SCI repair, with natural materials like hyaluronic acid, collagen, and chitosan offering biocompatibility, and synthetic materials like polyethylene glycol and polylactic acid providing strong mechanical properties. Despite the promising preclinical results, clinical application of biomaterial scaffolds for SCI treatment faces challenges. Future research should focus on improving biocompatibility, degradability, and mechanical strength, as well as evaluating safety and effectiveness in clinical trials.

Practical Implications

Drug Delivery

Biomaterials can be used to deliver drugs directly to the site of injury, reducing side effects and improving bioavailability.

Cell Therapy

Biomaterials can be used as scaffolds for stem cells, improving their survival and differentiation at the injury site.

Tissue Regeneration

Biomaterials can mimic the natural ECM, promoting tissue regeneration and functional recovery after SCI.

Study Limitations

1
Limited evidence about the treatment of SCI with biomaterials in the clinic.
2
Natural biomaterials may have insufficient scaffold strength and mismatch between cell degradation rate and regeneration rate.
3
Synthetic materials may cause local inflammatory responses and have weak affinity to cells.

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