title: Host reaction to poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) scaffolds in a small spinal cord injury model.
abstract: Tissue engineered scaffolds and matrices have been investigated over the past decade for their potential in spinal cord repair. They provide a 3-D substrate that can be permissive for nerve regeneration yet have other roles including neuroprotection, altering the inflammatory cascade and mechanically stabilizing spinal cord tissue after injury. In this study we investigated very small lesions (approx. 0.25 μL in volume) of the dorsal column into which a phase-separated poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogel scaffold is implanted. Using fluorescent immunohistochemistry to quantify glial scarring, the poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) scaffold group showed reduced intensity compared to lesion controls for GFAP and the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan neurocan after 6 days. However, the scaffold and tissue was also pushed dorsally after 6 days while the scaffold was not integrated into the spinal cord after 28 days. Overall, this small-lesion spinal cord injury model provided information on the host tissue reaction of a TE scaffold while reducing animal discomfort and care.
authors.affiliation: Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1954 Huashan Rd, Shanghai, 200030, China.
authors.forename: Hong Ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Führmann
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Dalton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005549:Foreign-Body Reaction / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005911:Gliosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation; D008297:Male; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D023421:Models, Animal; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D058630:Spinal Cord Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D008689:Methacrylates; C005044:hydroxyethyl methacrylate