Biocompatibility of reduced graphene oxide nanoscaffolds following acute spinal cord injury in rats.
BACKGROUND
Graphene has unique electrical, physical, and chemical properties that may have great potential as a bioscaffold for neuronal regeneration after spinal cord injury. These nanoscaffolds have previously been shown to be biocompatible in vitro; in the present study, we wished to evaluate its biocompatibility in an in vivo spinal cord injury model.


METHODS
Graphene nanoscaffolds were prepared by the mild chemical reduction of graphene oxide. Twenty Wistar rats (19 male and 1 female) underwent hemispinal cord transection at approximately the T2 level. To bridge the lesion, graphene nanoscaffolds with a hydrogel were implanted immediately after spinal cord transection. Control animals were treated with hydrogel matrix alone. Histologic evaluation was performed 3 months after the spinal cord transection to assess in vivo biocompatibility of graphene and to measure the ingrowth of tissue elements adjacent to the graphene nanoscaffold.


RESULTS
The graphene nanoscaffolds adhered well to the spinal cord tissue. There was no area of pseudocyst around the scaffolds suggestive of cytotoxicity. Instead, histological evaluation showed an ingrowth of connective tissue elements, blood vessels, neurofilaments, and Schwann cells around the graphene nanoscaffolds.


CONCLUSIONS
Graphene is a nanomaterial that is biocompatible with neurons and may have significant biomedical application. It may provide a scaffold for the ingrowth of regenerating axons after spinal cord injury.
Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
Ali H
AH
Palejwala
Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
Jared S
JS
Fridley
Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
Javier A
JA
Mata
Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA.
Errol L G
EL
Samuel
Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
Thomas G
TG
Luerssen
Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Research and Tissue Support Services Core Laboratory, Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Services, Houston, Texas, USA.
Laszlo
L
Perlaky
Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Interdepartmental Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Center for Translational Research in Inflammatory Diseases, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Thomas A
TA
Kent
Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA; Department of Chemistry and Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA.
James M
JM
Tour
Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
Andrew
A
Jea
Biocompatibility; cytotoxicity; graphene; nanomedicine; neuron; spinal cord injury