Co-delivery of Chondroitinase ABC and Pre-differentiated Progeny of Human Neuroepithelial Cells in Hydrogels to the Injured Spinal Cord

The inability of injured axons to regenerate across the lesion that forms following a spinal cord injury is largely attributed to their reduced growth capacity, and the inhibitory microenvironment surrounding the lesion. To overcome these obstacles, a combinatorial strategy was designed involving the delivery of the enzyme chondroitinase ABC (chABC), from a methylcellulose hydrogel to degrade inhibitory molecules, and the transplantation of neuronal precursor cells in a hyaluronan-methylcellulose hydrogel to bridge the lesion. Although motor and sensory functionality was not recovered through this strategy in rat models of spinal cord injury, high levels of transplanted cells remained 8 weeks after transplantation, the cells retained a neuronal phenotype and migrated toward the lesion, despite being injected 1 mm away from the injury site. Future work involves determining the effect that chABC had in this system, and what modifications can be made to achieve functional recovery through this type of combinatorial strategy.M.A.S.2019-11-10 00:00:0