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Three‐dimensional engineering of the nervous system
Author(s) -
Berthod Francois
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.418.4
Subject(s) - spinal cord , amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , peripheral nervous system , nerve guidance conduit , nervous system , neuroscience , medicine , tissue engineering , central nervous system , nervous tissue , myelin , anatomy , connective tissue , neural tissue engineering , pathology , biology , sciatic nerve , biomedical engineering , disease
The nervous system is the target of various diseases or injuries that could lead to major handicaps or be life threatening. Innovative strategies using tissue‐engineered nerve conduits or in vitro models could help to understand and repair these disorders. To bridge the gap between nerve stumps after a peripheral nerve injury, we developed a tissue‐engineered neural tube to promote nerve repair. This living nerve conduit made of fibroblasts was prepared to serve as a nerve guide to enhance recovery of sensory and motor functions of the transected nerve. The nervous system is also the target of life threatening neurodegenerative diseases such as the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We developed a tissue‐engineered model mimicking the spinal cord in vitro to better understand the pathogenesis of these disorders. Motor neurons were cultured on the top of a fibroblast‐populated sponge mimicking the connective tissue through which motor axons elongate in vivo. This model promoted axonal migration and the spontaneous formation of numerous thick myelin sheaths wrapping around motor fibers in presence of Schwann cells. The 3D engineering of the peripheral and the central nervous systems by tissue engineering could help to better understand the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, to find curative treatments and to repair peripheral nerve damage or even spinal cord injuries.