Stem cell-based neural tissue engineering through the use of biomaterials.

目前，临床上迫切需要一种能有效促进神经组织再生的支架材料。本项目的目标是开发一种新型的三维可降解支架，该支架具有可控的机械和化学性能，重现天然的细胞外微环境，并以可控的时空方式释放生长因子（GF），该支架将基于聚乙二醇和细胞外基质蛋白，如层粘连蛋白和纤维连接蛋白，对GF具有高亲和力，因此需要支持再生过程。因此，支架将代表一个合成的微环境，神经干细胞可以在3D中培养，并通过机械和化学队列分化，以取代丢失的神经元和周围的胶质细胞。在水凝胶中开发组织特异性干细胞的器官型培养物将为向损伤部位递送新细胞和生长促进因子提供可行的载体。此外，这种培养模型在未来可能用于筛选通过刺激培养中干细胞的扩增来增强神经组织再生的药物。

There is an urgent unmet clinical need for scaffolds that actively promote theregeneration of neural tissue. This project will aim to develop a novel, 3D degradable scaffoldwith controlled mechanical and chemical properties, recapitulating the natural extracellularmicroenvironment and releasing growth factors (GFs) in a controlled spatiotemporal manner.The scaffold will be based on Poly(ethylene) glycol and extracellular matrix proteins, such aslaminin and fibronectin, presenting high affinity for GFs and therefore required to support theregenerative process. The scaffolds will thus represent a synthetic microenvironment whereneural stem cells can be cultured in 3D and differentiated through mechanical and chemicalqueues to replace lost neurons and surrounding glia. The development of an organotypic cultureof tissue-specific stem cells in a hydrogel will provide a viable vector for delivering new cells andgrowth promoting factors to an injury site. Furthermore, this culture model could potentiallyhave future applications for screening drugs that could enhance neural tissue regeneration bystimulating the expansion of the stem cells in culture.