title: Spinal cord reconstruction using NeuroGel implants and functional recovery after chronic injury.
abstract: There is currently a lack of effective ways to achieve functional tissue repair of the chronically injured spinal cord. We investigated the potential of using NeuroGel, a biocompatible polymer hydrogel, to induce a reconstruction of the rat spinal cord after chronic compression-produced injury. NeuroGel was inserted 3 months after a severe injury into the post-traumatic lesion cavity. Rats were placed in an enriched environment and the functional deficits were measured using the BBB rating scale. A significant improvement in the mean BBB scores was observed. Rats without enriched environment and severely injured rats with an enriched environment alone showed no improvement; however, 7 months after reconstructive surgery using NeuroGel, a reparative neural tissue had formed within the polymer gel that included myelinated axons and dendro-dendritic contacts. NeuroGel implantation into a chronic spinal cord injury therefore resulted in tissue reconstruction and functional improvement, suggesting that such an approach may have therapeutic value in the repair of focal lesions in humans.
authors.affiliation: Organogel Canada Ltée, 1400 Parc Technologique Blvd., Québec City, Québec G1P 4R7, Canada. woerlyst@organogel.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Woerly
authors.forename: V D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Doan
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Evans-Martin
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Paramore
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Peduzzi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001710:Biotin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003712:Dendrites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003911:Dextrans; D004780:Environment, Controlled; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D005782:Gels / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011108:Polymers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000639:trends; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014855:Wallerian Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D003911:Dextrans; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D005782:Gels; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D011108:Polymers; C076397:biotinylated dextran amine; D001710:Biotin