Novel Advancements in Three-Dimensional Neural Tissue Engineering and
  Regenerative Medicine

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Abstract

Neurological diseases and injuries present some of the greatest challenges in modern medicine, often causing irreversible and lifelong burdens in the people whom they afflict. These diagnoses have devastating consequences on millions of people each year, and yet there are currently no therapies or interventions that can repair the structure of neural circuits and restore neural tissue function in the brain and spinal cord. Despite the challenges of overcoming these limitations, there are many new approaches under development that hold much promise. Neural tissue engineering aims to restore and influence the function of damaged or diseased neural tissue generally through the use of stem cells and biomaterials. In this paper, several new 3D tissue constructs and designs are described for functional reconstruction of neural architecture. With the use of induced pluripotent stem cells or induced neuronal cells, these 3D constructs could then be studied as regional models of the central nervous system or could one day be implemented as autologous grafts into damaged sites of the nervous system in order to restore neural function, particularly for damaged sites of spinal cord, areas of stroke infarction, tumor resection sites, peripheral nerve injuries, or areas of neurodegeneration.

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Matrix nanotopography as a regulator of cell function

Deok-Ho Kim, Paolo Provenzano, Chris L Smith … (2012)

The architecture of the extracellular matrix (ECM) directs cell behavior by providing spatial and mechanical cues to which cells respond. In addition to soluble chemical factors, physical interactions between the cell and ECM regulate primary cell processes, including differentiation, migration, and proliferation. Advances in microtechnology and, more recently, nanotechnology provide a powerful means to study the influence of the ECM on cell behavior. By recapitulating local architectures that cells encounter in vivo, we can elucidate and dissect the fundamental signal transduction pathways that control cell behavior in critical developmental, physiological, and pathological processes.

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Concepts and methods for the study of axonal regeneration in the CNS.

Mark H. Tuszynski, Oswald Steward (2012)

Progress in the field of axonal regeneration research has been like the process of axonal growth itself: there is steady progress toward reaching the target, but there are episodes of mistargeting, misguidance along false routes, and connections that must later be withdrawn. This primer will address issues in the study of axonal growth after central nervous system injury in an attempt to provide guidance toward the goal of progress in the field. We address definitions of axonal growth, sprouting and regeneration after injury, and the research tools to assess growth. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Preconditioning Stem Cells for In Vivo Delivery

Sébastien Sart, Teng Ma, Yan-Yan Li (2014)

Abstract Stem cells have emerged as promising tools for the treatment of incurable neural and heart diseases and tissue damage. However, the survival of transplanted stem cells is reported to be low, reducing their therapeutic effects. The major causes of poor survival of stem cells in vivo are linked to anoikis, potential immune rejection, and oxidative damage mediating apoptosis. This review investigates novel methods and potential molecular mechanisms for stem cell preconditioning in vitro to increase their retention after transplantation in damaged tissues. Microenvironmental preconditioning (e.g., hypoxia, heat shock, and exposure to oxidative stress), aggregate formation, and hydrogel encapsulation have been revealed as promising strategies to reduce cell apoptosis in vivo while maintaining biological functions of the cells. Moreover, this review seeks to identify methods of optimizing cell dose preparation to enhance stem cell survival and therapeutic function after transplantation.