electrically-conductive-scaffold-to-modulate-and-deliver-stem-cells

Electrically Conductive Scaffold to Modulate and Deliver Stem Cells

Stem cell therapy has emerged as an exciting stroke therapeutic, but the optimal delivery method remains unclear. While the technique of microinjection ...

Stanford University School of Medicine

Stanford Stroke Center and Stanford University School of Medicine

Aortic arch atheroma: a plaque of a different color or more of the same?

Stroke remains a leading cause of death and disability in the world. Over the past few decades our understanding of the pathophysiology of stroke has increased, but greater insight is required to advance the field of stroke recovery. Clinical treatments have improved in the acute time window, but long-term therapeutics remain limited. Complex neural circuits damaged by ischemia make restoration of function after stroke difficult. New therapeutic approaches, including cell transplantation or stimulation, focus on reestablishing these circuits through multiple mechanisms to improve circuit plasticity and remodeling. Other research targets intact networks to compensate for damaged regions. This review highlights several important mechanisms of stroke injury and describes emerging therapies aimed at improving clinical outcomes. 

Novel Stroke Therapeutics: Unraveling Stroke Pathophysiology and Its Impact on Clinical Treatments.

Exogenous human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) are promising stroke therapeutics, but optimal delivery conditions and exact recovery mechanisms remain elusive. To further elucidate repair processes and improve stroke outcomes, we developed an electrically conductive, polymer scaffold for hNPC delivery. Electrical stimulation of hNPCs alters their transcriptome including changes to the VEGF-A pathway and genes involved in cell survival, inflammatory response, and synaptic remodeling. In our experiments, exogenous hNPCs were electrically stimulated (electrically preconditioned) via the scaffold 1 day prior to implantation. After in vitro stimulation, hNPCs on the scaffold are transplanted intracranially in a distal middle cerebral artery occlusion rat model. Electrically preconditioned hNPCs improved functional outcomes compared to unstimulated hNPCs or hNPCs where VEGF-A was blocked during in vitro electrical preconditioning. The ability to manipulate hNPCs via a conductive scaffold creates a new approach to optimize stem cell-based therapy and determine which factors (such as VEGF-A) are essential for stroke recovery.

Article	Year
Aortic arch atheroma: a plaque of a different color or more of the same? Stroke\| PubMed ID: 24699053	2014
Novel Stroke Therapeutics: Unraveling Stroke Pathophysiology and Its Impact on Clinical Treatments. Neuron\| PubMed ID: 26182415	2015
Electrical preconditioning of stem cells with a conductive polymer scaffold enhances stroke recovery. Biomaterials\| PubMed ID: 28719819	2017
Conductive polymer scaffolds to improve neural recovery. Neural regeneration research\| PubMed ID: 29323032	2017

Paul George

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