Strategies for endogenous spinal cord repair: HPMA hydrogel to recruit migrating endogenous stem cells.

Injury to the spinal cord disrupts ascending and descending axonal pathways and causes tissue damage with a subsequent limited cellular regeneration. Successful treatment would encompass the restoration of the cytoarchitecture, homeostasis and function all in dear need. Transplantation-based treatments using exogenous cells are the most favoured approach.

Development of a sialic acid-containing hydrogel of poly[N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide]: characterization and implantation study.

This study describes the preparation and the characterization of poly[ N-(2-hydroxypropyl methacrylamide)] hydrogel with bulk-modified saccharidic portion of ganglioside GM 3 (Neu5Ac-alpha2,3-Gal-beta1,4-Glc). The 3'-sialyllactose is a bioactive epitope recognized by many cell surface receptors on viruses, bacteria, and human cells such as growth factor receptors. Acrylated 3'-sialyllactose was synthesized and incorporated into the macromolecular network of hydrogels by free radical cross-linking copolymerization.

Expression of heat shock protein (HSP)-25 and HSP-32 in the rat spinal cord reconstructed with Neurogel.

We recently showed a successful reconstruction of the cat spinal cord using NeuroGel a polymer hydrogel bridge between the two spinal stumps. The polymer graft supports axonal elongation, myelination and angiogenesis up to 21 months, Wallerian degeneration was diminished and gliotic scarring was prevented. In the present study, we report the expression patterns of two stress proteins, (HSPs) HSP-25 and HSP-32 after spinal cord hemisection with and without reparative surgery with NeuroGel.

Prevention of gliotic scar formation by NeuroGel allows partial endogenous repair of transected cat spinal cord.

Spinal cords of adult cats were transected and subsequently reconnected with the biocompatible porous poly (N-[2-hydroxypropyl] methacrylamide) hydrogel, NeuroGel. Tissue repair was examined at various time points from 6-21 months post reconstructive surgery. We examined two typical phenomena, astrogliosis and scar formation, in spines reconstructed with the gel and compared them to those from transected non-reconstructed spines.

Polymeric hydrogels placed into a fimbria-fornix lesion cavity promote fiber (re)growth: a morphological study in the rat.

To examine the regeneration capacity of dorsal septohippocampal neurons in the presence of an artificial growth-promoting substrate, biocompatible polymeric hydrogels were implanted between the septum and the hippocampus in a fimbria-fornix lesion cavity. Unmodified (control) or aminosugar-containing (glucosamines or N-acetyl-glucosamines) hydrogels were implanted immediately or ten days after the lesions. Six months later, brain sections were processed for cresyl-violet, acetylcholinesterase, and immunocytochemical (glial fibrillary acidic protein, protein S100, neurofilaments, laminin, fibronectin) staining.