title: X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography visualizes the microstructure and degradation profile of implanted biodegradable scaffolds after spinal cord injury.
abstract: Tissue engineering strategies for spinal cord repair are a primary focus of translational medicine after spinal cord injury (SCI). Many tissue engineering strategies employ three-dimensional scaffolds, which are made of biodegradable materials and have microstructure incorporated with viable cells and bioactive molecules to promote new tissue generation and functional recovery after SCI. It is therefore important to develop an imaging system that visualizes both the microstructure of three-dimensional scaffolds and their degradation process after SCI. Here, X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography imaging based on the Talbot grating interferometer is described and it is shown how it can visualize the polyglycolic acid scaffold, including its microfibres, after implantation into the injured spinal cord. Furthermore, X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography images revealed that degradation occurred from the end to the centre of the braided scaffold in the 28 days after implantation into the injured spinal cord. The present report provides the first demonstration of an imaging technique that visualizes both the microstructure and degradation of biodegradable scaffolds in SCI research. X-ray phase-contrast imaging based on the Talbot grating interferometer is a versatile technique that can be used for a broad range of preclinical applications in tissue engineering strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Rehabilitation Science, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.affiliation: Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, SPring-8, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoshino
authors.affiliation: Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, SPring-8, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uesugi
authors.affiliation: Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, SPring-8, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.affiliation: R&D Department, Gunze Limited, Shiga, Japan.
authors.forename: Shojiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakahira
authors.affiliation: Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Osumi
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Rehabilitation Science, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kohzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Onodera
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D020007:Implants, Experimental; D007368:Interferometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008422:Materials Testing; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D011100:Polyglycolic Acid
keywords: Talbot grating interferometer; X-ray phase-contrast CT; biodegradation; spinal cord injury; tissue engineering