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A NEW TYPE OF CELL SCAFFOLD HOLDS THE KEY
Neurons in scaffold: Neurons, red, develop connections to one another in a 3D matrix of polymer fibers
The
debilitating effects of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s,
Alzheimer’s, ALS, and Huntington’s, are due to the loss of or damage to many
cells in the brain. Treatments for these diseases can slow their onset, but as
of yet, they can’t reverse or cure this damage. In the past, scientists have
tried to do so by injecting individual neurons into the brain's of animal
models of these diseases to replace those that had been destroyed. But the
individual cells usually didn't survive, so they offered no benefit.
Scientists
wondered if injecting networks of neurons into damaged brains, instead of
individual neurons, would work better. So a team led by scientists from Rutgers
University created a 3D scaffold on which to grow neurons before injecting them
into brains. These networks of neurons were much more likely to survive once
they were implanted, which might someday help scientists create a viable
treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. The researchers published their work this week in Nature
Communications
Scientists wondered if injecting networks of neurons into damaged brains, instead of individual neurons, would work better.
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Neurons firing
Networks of neurons, created from stem cells, fire when exposed to an electrical current
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The
researchers first grew the neurons by converting mature adult cells into
pluripotent stem cells, then exposing the stem cells with a protein that would
signal their development into neurons. Then the researchers let the neurons
mature in a 3D scaffolding of polymer fibers. Because neurons work by
transmitting electrical signals between them, they naturally grow connections
to one another, so the researchers wanted to create a matrix with the right
dimensions to encourage that type of growth. They experimented by altering the
thickness of the fibers (the thicker ones ended up working best) and how far
apart they should be in the matrix—not too far that neurons couldn’t link up
with others nearby, but not so close that the neurons wouldn’t have space to develop.Once
small networks of neurons developed, the researchers compared their function to
that of individual neurons on slices of diseased mouse brains in the lab. They
found that the networked neurons survived much better. Then the researchers
injected them directly into the brains of mice. After three weeks, they found
that the networks of neurons grown on a scaffold were 40 times more likely to
survive than neurons injected alone. Previous studies suggest that
transplanting these networks into brains that have already been damaged by
disease might even boost their integration into existing tissue, the authors
write.
To the researchers, these results are a promising indicator that a similar tactic could work for humans. What’s not yet clear, however, is how replacing neurons will affect the progression of the disease, or if the treatment can address what destroyed them in the first place. The researchers are fine-tuning their scaffolding to be used to treat Parkinson’s disease in the near future, according to a press release.
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