An Injectable, Self-Healing Hydrogel to Repair the Central Nervous System

Adv Mater. 2015 Jun 17;27(23):3518-24. doi: 10.1002/adma.201500762. Epub 2015 May 7.

Abstract

An injectable, self-healing hydrogel (≈1.5 kPa) is developed for healing nerve-system deficits. Neurosphere-like progenitors proliferate in the hydrogel and differentiate into neuron-like cells. In the zebrafish injury model, the central nervous system function is partially rescued by injection of the hydrogel and significantly rescued by injection of the neurosphere-laden hydrogel. The self-healing hydrogel may thus potentially repair the central nervous system.

Keywords: injectable hydrogels; neural repair; neural stem cells; self-healing polymers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alginates / chemistry
  • Animals
  • Biocompatible Materials / chemistry
  • Biocompatible Materials / pharmacology*
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Central Nervous System / cytology
  • Central Nervous System / drug effects*
  • Central Nervous System / injuries
  • Chitosan / chemistry
  • Glucuronic Acid / chemistry
  • Hexuronic Acids / chemistry
  • Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / chemistry
  • Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / pharmacology*
  • Injections
  • Mechanical Phenomena*
  • Neural Stem Cells / cytology
  • Neural Stem Cells / drug effects
  • Zebrafish

Substances

  • Alginates
  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Hexuronic Acids
  • Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate
  • Glucuronic Acid
  • Chitosan