澳洲Deakin大學和Australian大學的研究人員開發新型水凝膠可提升移植細胞的存活率

撰文者: 塑膠智庫 | 出刊日期:2021-10-12 | 文章編號:F4UQCXMN83


澳洲科學家們發現了一種將健康幹細胞植入大腦的新方法,使它們能夠生長和修復受損組織,為腦損傷、帕金森病和中風患者提供可能的新治療方法。

 

澳洲研究人員開發出新型水凝膠能提升移植細胞的存活率

澳洲Deakin大學和Australian大學研究人員開發出一種新型水凝膠,它可用於針對腦損傷的幹細胞移植,能夠大幅提升移植細胞的存活率。這項成果有望為患中風、帕金森病等疾病而需要腦組織修復治療的患者帶來福音。
 

新型水凝膠促進了標靶和再生受損腦組織的幹細胞治療

目前對受傷大腦需要移植幹細胞的治療方法是將要移植的細胞放在鹽水中,然後透過針筒注射到受損部位,但這樣移植的細胞存活率不高。新型水凝膠極大地促進了標靶和再生受損腦組織的幹細胞治療。水凝膠是一種含有幹細胞的凝膠,大部分與水保持在一起,為細胞提供庇護所,可以替代現有且效果較差的治療方法。
 

新型水凝膠可以保護移植細胞在受傷的腦部免受炎症攻擊,從而更好地修復腦組織,恢復腦功能

新型水凝膠的結構與腦組織相似,可以「誘騙」移植細胞,使它們認為自己生活在正常的健康組織中,從而在水凝膠內部生長。新型水凝膠在動物實驗中顯示出良好效果。水凝膠帶著移植細胞進入腦損傷部位後,還可以保護移植細胞在受傷的腦部環境中免受炎症攻擊,使這些細胞能好好地與大腦組織融合,從而更好地修復腦組織,恢復腦功能。未來還可能被用於其他一些需要移植細胞的情況。

參考資料

Researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) and Deakin University have developed a gel which boosts stem cell treatments targeting and regenerating damaged brain tissue.
According to the media release on Thursday, the new ′hydrogel′ could offer new hope for people with brain injuries, Parkinson′s disease and stroke patients.
The gel, which consists of stem cells and held together largely by water, could replace existing and less effective treatments.
David Nisbet from the AMU College of Engineering and Computer Science said that the gel acts as ′a sanctuary for cells′ and has a higher success rate than current treatments for injured brains.
′There are some major problems with existing cell transplantation technology. The biggest challenge is the amount of replacement cells that die once they are administered the brain,′ he said.
′The hydrogel we have developed largely stops this. It protects the cells during administration and provides an environment after their injection that greatly increases their survival,′ he added.
′Our hydrogel shields the transplanted cells from inflammation in an injured brain. The cells then start to integrate with the brain′s circuitry and we see repair and functional recovery.′
When injected the brain, the hydrogel self-assembles to form a synthetic web that the cells can grow in because it is a structure that is similar to brain tissue, according to the media release.

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A novel way to transplant cells using a hydrogel offers new hope for people with brain injuries, Parkinson′s disease and stroke patients, according to researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) and Deakin University.
The team′s new hydrogel significantly boosts stem cell treatments that target and regenerate damaged brain tissue.
The hydrogel—a gel containing stem cells and held together largely by water—offers a sanctuary for cells and could replace existing and less effective treatments.
Professor David Nisbet, from the ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science, says current treatments for injured brains, which deliver stem cells via saline in a syringe, have a low cell survival.
′There are some major problems with existing cell transplantation technology. The biggest challenge is the amount of replacement cells that die once they are administered the brain,′ said Professor David Nisbet.
′The hydrogel we have developed largely stops this. It protects the cells during administration and provides an environment after their injection that greatly increases their survival.′
Professor Nisbet describes the hydrogel as ′a sanctuary for cells′ for when they are shielded from inflammation in the brain.
′Our hydrogel shields the transplanted cells from inflammation in an injured brain. The cells then start to integrate with the brain′s circuitry and we see repair and functional recovery,′ he said.
When injected the brain, the hydrogel self-assembles to form a synthetic web that the cells can grow in because it is a structure that is similar to brain tissue.
Co-lead author Dr. Richard Williams, a Senior Lecturer in Medical Biotechnology at Deakin′s School of Medicine, says one of the problems with stem cell therapy is that the delicate cells are taken out of their nurturing environment and subjected to some pretty harsh conditions.
′We have taken inspiration from how the cells interact with, and are supported by, their surroundings found in the natural tissue,′ Dr. Williams said.
′We have built an artificial scaffold that tricks the cells believing that they are in a normal, healthy environment.′
By mimicking brain tissue, the hydrogel not only protects the cell during its journey through the syringe but also helps the cells thrive in the brain.
The new technique has been tested with mouse brain cells and is described in Advanced Functional Materials.
′The hydrogel turns a liquid and flows through the syringe but as soon as it is back brain it spontaneously reassembles as a three dimensional hydrogel so it can fill voids which is important for stroke,′ said study co-lead author Dr. Yi Wang.
′The cells are protected from shear forces in the hydrogel, unlike in saline where they are rapidly elongated which can result in their membrane rupturing and death of the cells,′ she said.
The researchers say there is huge potential with the simple administration within a hydrogel instead of saline.
′These materials could be easily rolled out and used anywhere you need to implant cells—neuroscience, cancer and potentially even IVF,′ said Professor Nisbet.

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