Nanofiber scaffolds for treatment of spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common neurologic disorder that results in loss of sensory function and mobility. It is well documented that tissue engineering is a potential therapeutic strategy for treatment of SCI. In this connection, various biomaterials have been explored to meet the needs of SCI tissue engineering and these include natural materials, synthetic biodegradable polymers and synthetic non- degradable polymers.

[A two-step protocol for induction of rat adipose tissue-derived stem cells into neuron-like cells].

Objective: To investigate the differentiation potential of rat adipose tissue-derived cells (ADSCs) into neuron-like cells in vitro using a two-step induction protocol.

Methods: ADSCs isolated from the epididymal fat pads in male SD rats by means of differential attachment were cultured in vitro and subjected to adipogenic induction. After flow cytometric identification of the cell surface antigens CD106, CD11b, CD45, CD49d, CD90 and CD29, the third-passage ADSCs were induced to transdifferentiate into neural stem cell (NSC)-like cells in DMEM/F12 medium containing 10 ng/ml basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), 20 ng/ml epidermal growth factor (EGF) and 2% B27.

[Induced differentiation of rat adipose-derived stem cells into Schwann-like cells].

Objective: To assess the differentiation potential of rat adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) into Schwann-like cells in vitro.

Methods: ADSCs isolated from adult SD rats were cultured in vitro and identified with the cell surface antigens CD44, CD49d and CD106 by immunocytochemistry. The ADSCs of the sixth to eighth passages were inoculated in polylysine-coated culture plate and cultured for 12 days in DMEM/F12 culture medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum, 5 ng/ml platelet-derived growth factor, 10 ng/ml basic fibroblast growth factor, 14 micromol/L Forskolin and 200 ng/ml Heregulin to induce their differentiation in vitro.

Collagen gel coating or cyclosporine A for improving histocompatibility of chicken calamus keratin.

Objective: To improve the histocompatibility of chicken calamus keratin (CCK) graft by collagen-gel coating or using of cyclosporine A (CsA).

Methods: Thirty SD rats were equally randomized into 5 groups, and in 4 of them, CCK implantation into the bilateral erector spinae was performed on different treatment protocols. In group A, the rats received daily intraperitoneal injection of CsA (5 mg/kg) for two consecutive weeks after CCK implantation; in group B, CCK was soaked in CsA (2.

Co-transplantation of schwann cells promotes the survival and differentiation of neural stem cells transplanted into the injured spinal cord.

The present study investigates whether Schwann cells (SCs) could promote the survival and differentiation of neural stem cells in the injured spinal cord. Neural stem cells were dissociated and cloned from the hippocampal tissue of newborn rats. SCs were also dissociated and purified simultaneously from the sciatic nerves of 4-day-old rats.