Open AccessExosomes‐Loaded Electroconductive Hydrogel Synergistically Promotes Tissue Repair after Spinal Cord Injury via Immunoregulation and Enhancement of Myelinated Axon Growth
Author(s) -
Fan Lei,
Liu Can,
Chen Xiuxing,
Zheng Lei,
Zou Yan,
Wen Huiquan,
Guan Pengfei,
Lu Fang,
Luo Yian,
Tan Guoxin,
Yu Peng,
Chen Dafu,
Deng Chunlin,
Sun Yongjian,
Zhou Lei,
Ning Chengyun
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
advanced science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.388
H-Index - 100
ISSN - 2198-3844
DOI - 10.1002/advs.202105586
Subject(s) - microvesicles , self healing hydrogels , regeneration (biology) , spinal cord injury , axon , microbiology and biotechnology , pi3k/akt/mtor pathway , astrocyte , microglia , inflammation , chemistry , spinal cord , cancer research , neuroscience , medicine , microrna , biology , immunology , signal transduction , central nervous system , biochemistry , organic chemistry , gene
Electroconductive hydrogels are very attractive candidates for accelerated spinal cord injury (SCI) repair because they match the electrical and mechanical properties of neural tissue. However, electroconductive hydrogel implantation can potentially aggravate inflammation, and hinder its repair efficacy. Bone marrow stem cell‐derived exosomes (BMSC‐exosomes) have shown immunomodulatory and tissue regeneration effects, therefore, neural tissue‐like electroconductive hydrogels loaded with BMSC‐exosomes are developed for the synergistic treatment of SCI. These exosomes‐loaded electroconductive hydrogels modulate microglial M2 polarization via the NF‐ κ B pathway, and synergistically enhance neuronal and oligodendrocyte differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) while inhibiting astrocyte differentiation, and also increase axon outgrowth via the PTEN/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Furthermore, exosomes combined electroconductive hydrogels significantly decrease the number of CD68‐positive microglia, enhance local NSCs recruitment, and promote neuronal and axonal regeneration, resulting in significant functional recovery at the early stage in an SCI mouse model. Hence, the findings of this study demonstrate that the combination of electroconductive hydrogels and BMSC‐exosomes is a promising therapeutic strategy for SCI repair.