Provider: Ingenta Connect Database: Ingenta Connect Content: application/x-research-info-systems TY - ABST AU - Willenberg, Bradley Jay AU - Zheng, Tong AU - Meng, Fan-Wei AU - Meneses, Juan Carlos AU - Rossignol, Candace AU - Batich, Christopher D. AU - Terada, Naohiro AU - Steindler, Dennis A. AU - Weiss, Michael D. TI - Gelatinized Copper–Capillary Alginate Gel Functions as an Injectable Tissue Scaffolding System for Stem Cell Transplants JO - Journal of Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition PY - 2011-01-01T00:00:00/// VL - 22 IS - 12 SP - 1621 EP - 1637 KW - STEM CELL KW - ALGINATE KW - GELATIN KW - ANISOTROPY KW - IONOTROPY KW - BIOMATERIAL KW - TISSUE SCAFFOLD KW - CAPILLARY KW - TISSUE ENGINEERING N2 - In severe hypoxic–ischemic brain injury, cellular components such as neurons and astrocytes are injured or destroyed along with the supporting extracellular matrix. This presents a challenge to the field of regenerative medicine since the lack of extracellular matrix and supporting structures makes the transplant milieu inhospitable to the transplanted cells. A potential solution to this problem is the use of a biomaterial to provide the extracellular components needed to keep cells localized in cystic brain regions, allowing the cells to form connections and repair lost brain tissue. Ideally, this biomaterial would be combined with stem cells, which have been proven to have therapeutic potentials, and could be delivered via an injection. To study this approach, we derived a hydrogel biomaterial tissue scaffold from oligomeric gelatin and copper–capillary alginate gel (GCCAG). We then demonstrated that our multipotent astrocytic stem cells (MASCs) could be maintained in GCCAG scaffolds for up to 2 weeks in vitro and that the cells retained their multipotency. We next performed a pilot transplant study in which GCCAG was mixed with MASCs and injected into the brain of a neonatal rat pup. After a week in vivo, our results showed that: the GCCAG biomaterial did not cause a significant reactive gliosis; viable cells were retained within the injected scaffolds; and some delivered cells migrated into the surrounding brain tissue. Therefore, GCCAG tissue scaffolds are a promising, novel injectable system for transplantation of stem cells to the brain. UR - https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/tandf/bsp/2011/00000022/00000012/art00006 M3 - doi:10.1163/092050610X519453 UR - https://doi.org/10.1163/092050610X519453 ER -