Open AccessRegenerating the Injured Spinal Cord at the Chronic Phase by Engineered iPSCs‐Derived 3D Neuronal Networks
Author(s) -
Wertheim Lior,
Edri Reuven,
Goldshmit Yona,
Kagan Tomer,
Noor Nadav,
Ruban Angela,
Shapira Assaf,
GatViks Irit,
Assaf Yaniv,
Dvir Tal
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.202105694
Subject(s) - induced pluripotent stem cell , biomaterial , neurogenesis , neuroscience , tissue engineering , spinal cord , microbiology and biotechnology , spinal cord injury , cell , embryonic stem cell , medicine , chemistry , biology , biomedical engineering , biochemistry , gene
Cell therapy using induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived neurons is considered a promising approach to regenerate the injured spinal cord (SC). However, the scar formed at the chronic phase is not a permissive microenvironment for cell or biomaterial engraftment or for tissue assembly. Engineering of a functional human neuronal network is now reported by mimicking the embryonic development of the SC in a 3D dynamic biomaterial‐based microenvironment. Throughout the in vitro cultivation stage, the system's components have a synergistic effect, providing appropriate cues for SC neurogenesis. While the initial biomaterial supported efficient cell differentiation in 3D, the cells remodeled it to provide an inductive microenvironment for the assembly of functional SC implants. The engineered tissues are characterized for morphology and function, and their therapeutic potential is investigated, revealing improved structural and functional outcomes after acute and chronic SC injuries. Such technology is envisioned to be translated to the clinic to rewire human injured SC.