Biodegradable synthetic nanofibers as support for stem cells in nervous system tissue regeneration

• Grant number: 13/16533-8
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): December 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): March 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology
• Principal Investigator: Marimélia Aparecida Porcionatto
• Grantee: Laura Nicoleti Zamproni
• Home Institution: Instituto Nacional de Farmacologia (INFAR). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 14/23797-4 - VEGF- and CXCL12-LOADED injectable hydrogel for mesenchymal stem cell delivery in a traumatic brain injury model, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Injuries to the central nervous system are often highly incapacitating with few therapeutic possibilities. The use of cellular therapy with stem cell transplantation appears promising, but this process is not totally efficient because only a few cells reach the injured site and survive in the microenvironment of the lesion, which is not favorable to cell survival due to the presence of neurotoxic molecules secreted locally. To improve the regeneration of nervous tissue it is necessary to develop strategies for keeping stem cells at the injury site where they may exert their paracrine, neuroprotective and repair functions. An alternative is the use of biomaterials. Synthetic biodegradable nanofibers are filamentary structures that mimic the fibrous extracellular matrix and can function as cellular scaffolds for stem cell transplantation, functining as a support for adhesion, replication and differentiation of these cells. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of nanofibers as a scaffold for stem cell growth and to evaluate its efficacy in vivo for cell therapy for central nervous system injuries.