Controlled release of neurotrophin-3 from fibrin-based tissue engineering scaffolds enhances neural fiber sprouting following subacute spinal cord injury

• Published in: Biotechnology and bioengineering Vol. 104; no. 6; pp. 1207 - 1214
• Main Authors: Johnson, Philip J, Parker, Stanley R, Sakiyama-Elbert, Shelly E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 15.12.2009; Wiley; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; biomaterial; Biotechnology; delivery system; Female; Fibrin; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; growth factors; Medical treatment; Nerve Fibers - drug effects; Nerve Regeneration; Neurons; Neurotrophin 3 - pharmacokinetics; Rats; Rats, Long-Evans; Rodents; Spinal Cord - pathology; Spinal cord injuries; Spinal Cord Injuries - therapy; Studies; Tissue Engineering - methods; Tissue Scaffolds - chemistry; Neurotrophin; Delivery system; growth factors; Tissue engineering; Fiber; Nerve; Fibrin; Regeneration; Spinal cord trauma; Biomaterial; nerve regeneration; Release; Growth factor
• ISSN: 0006-3592; 1097-0290
• DOI: 10.1002/bit.22476

This study investigated whether delayed treatment of spinal cord injury with controlled release of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) from fibrin scaffolds can stimulate enhanced neural fiber sprouting. Long Evans rats received a T9 dorsal hemisection spinal cord injury. Two weeks later, the injury site was re-exposed, and either a fibrin scaffold alone, a fibrin scaffold containing a heparin-based delivery system with different concentrations of NT-3 (500 and 1,000 ng/mL), or a fibrin scaffold containing 1,000 ng/mL of NT-3 (no delivery system) was implanted into the injury site. The injured spinal cords were evaluated for morphological differences using markers for neurons, astrocytes, and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans 2 weeks after treatment. The addition of 500 ng/mL of NT-3 with the delivery system resulted in an increase in neural fiber density compared to fibrin alone. These results demonstrate that the controlled release of NT-3 from fibrin scaffolds can enhance neural fiber sprouting even when treatment is delayed 2 weeks following injury. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009; 104: 1207-1214.