Biomaterials for promoting brain protection, repair and regeneration

Abstract

Biomaterials are likely to have an increasingly important role in the treatment of nervous system disorders. Recently developed biomaterials can enable and augment the targeted delivery of drugs or therapeutic proteins to the brain, allow cell or tissue transplants to be effectively delivered to the brain and help to rebuild damaged circuits. Similarly, biomaterials are being used to promote regeneration and to repair damaged neuronal pathways in combination with stem cell therapies. Many of these approaches are gaining momentum because nanotechnology allows greater control over material-cell interactions that induce specific developmental processes and cellular responses including differentiation, migration and outgrowth.

Electrospun Nanofibrous Materials for Neural Tissue Engineering

“…Brain damage caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in immediate and delayed cell death leading to cavity formation and glial scarring [5]. Providing neuroprotection to reduce inflammation and prevent secondary cell death is of interest as well as replacing damaged neurons, providing appropriate factors, and promoting neurite regeneration and growth to restore original neural structure [6]. Neural tissue engineering strategies are actively being sought for the latter.…”

Biomaterials for Enhancing Neuronal Repair

“…Innovations in neural monitoring through flexible, biodegradable electronics provide a means to understand these processes at a more fundamental level, as well as track and monitor repair in vivo (Viventi et al, 2011;Kang et al, 2016). These engineered interfaces address specific challenges inherent to damaged neural tissue by reducing glial scarring and overcoming limited distances of regeneration (Orive et al, 2009;Tam et al, 2014).…”

The Therapeutic Potential of Cell Encapsulation Technology for Drug Delivery in Neurological Disorders

“…Microencapsulation includes bioencapsulation which is more restricted to the entrapment of a biologically active substance generally to improve its performance or enhance its shelf life. Chemical and physical methods for cell immobilization are fairly diverse, and a large number of systems have been created that entrap catalytically active cells in various matrices, such as carrageenan, alginate, polyacrylamide and polyethylene glycol gels, as well as polyurethane foams (Orive et al, 2009). A novel polymeric methodology for microencapsulation based on immobilized living cells has been developed and now is available for different applications.…”