VEGF- and CXCL12-LOADED injectable hydrogel for mesenchymal stem cell delivery in a traumatic brain injury model

• Grant number: 14/23797-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): March 15, 2015
• Effective date (End): October 13, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Marimélia Aparecida Porcionatto
• Grantee: Laura Nicoleti Zamproni
• Supervisor: Anne des Rieux
• Host Institution: Instituto Nacional de Farmacologia (INFAR). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Universitè Catolique de Louvain (UCL), Belgium
• Associated to the scholarship: 13/16533-8 - BIODEGRADABLE SYNTHETIC NANOFIBERS AS SUPPORT FOR STEM CELLS IN NERVOUS SYSTEM TISSUE REGENERATION, BP.DR

Abstract

Brain injuries are potentially disabling, generate a high social cost and no neuroprotective/neuroregenerative strategies are clinically available at the moment. Stem cell therapy seems to be a promising strategy for brain repair. Two main strategies have been proposed: 1) exogenous stem cell transplantation, and 2) subventricular zone (SVZ) derived neural stem cell mobilization. The difficulties that are encountered depend on the strategy. Transplanted exogenous stem cells show poor engraftment at the lesion site and the brain-blood barrier is an obstacle for cell and drug delivery. On the other hand, endogenous neural stem cell mobilization relies on physiological neurogenesis that is not sufficient to induce clinical and functional recovery. Thus, approaches to improve the activation of the physiologic neurogenesis may lead to better outcome following injury. Scaffolds that can be used to deliver stem cells as well as fix them at the injury site are an alternative for cell delivery. Recently, authors have described attempts to deliver stem cells combined with chemoattractants and growth factors to enhance neuroprotection and neuroblast influx from the SVZ.In this project, we propose to use scaffolds to deliver a combination of biomolecules and stem cells to the brain. Hydrogels containing the proangiogenic factor VEGF, the chemokine CXCL12 and/or stem cells will be layered on top of organotypic sections of mouse brain submitted to a traumatic injury. Neuroblast influx to the lesion and angiogenesis will be evaluated by immuno-histochemistry. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ZAMPRONI, LAURA N.; MUNDIM, MAYARA T. V. V.; PORCIONATTO, MARIMELIA A.. eurorepair and Regeneration of the Brain: A Decade of Bioscaffolds and Engineered Microtissu. FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY, v. 09, APR 7 2021. (18/12605-8, 12/06810-1, 14/00927-0, 14/23797-4, 13/16533-8)

ZAMPRONI, LAURA N.; TEIXEIRA, DANIELA; ALLIEGRO, AMANDA A.; MAUGERI, IEDA L.; DES RIEUX, ANNE; PORCIONATTO, MARIMELIA A.. Decreased viability and neurite length in neural cells treated with chitosan-dextran sulfate nanocomplexes. NeuroToxicology, v. 76, p. 33-43, JAN 2020. (12/00652-5, 14/23797-4)