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Peptide Amphiphiles and Porous Biodegradable Scaffolds for Tissue Regeneration in the Brain and Spinal Cord

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First Online:
Part of the Methods in Molecular Biology book series (MIMB, volume 726)

Abstract

Many promising strategies have been developed for controlling the release of drugs from scaffolds, yet there are still challenges that need to be addressed in order for these scaffolds to serve as successful treatments. The RADA4 self-assembling peptide spontaneously forms nanofibers, creating a scaffold-like tissue-bridging structure that provides a three-dimensional environment for the migration of living cells. We have found that RADA4: (1) facilitates the regeneration of axons in the brain of young and adult hamsters, leading to functional return of behavior and (2) demonstrates robust migration of host cells and growth of blood vessels and axons, leading to the repair of injured spinal cords in rats.

Key words

CNS regeneration Spinal cord injury Tissue repair Self-assembling peptide Nanofiber scaffold Schwann cell Neural progenitor cell Surgery Trauma Nanomedicine 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr. David K. C. Tay in the Department of Anatomy at the University of Hong Kong Faculty of Medicine for reviewing the chapter and for taking pictures.

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© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of Brain and Cognitive SciencesMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUSA

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