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Seeding Neural Stem Cells on Scaffolds of PGA, PLA, and Their Copolymers

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Neural Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology™ ((MIMB,volume 198))

Abstract

Tissue engineering has arisen to address the extreme shortage of tissues and organs for transplantation and repair. One of the most successful techniques has been the seeding and culturing of cells on three-dimensional biodegradable scaffolds in vitro followed by implantation in vivo (1,2). This technique has been used to treat bladder conditions (3) and cartilage (4) and skin (5) defects, and is being studied for a variety of other applications. While matrices have been made from a host of natural and synthetic materials, there has been particular interest in the biodegradable polymers of poly(glycolic acid) (PGA), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and their copolymers poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) Fig. 1). This particular family of degradable esters is very attractive for tissue engineering because the members are readily available and can be easily processed into a variety of structures, their degradation can be controlled through the ratio of glycolic acid to lactic acid subunits, and the polymers have already been approved for use in a number of applications by the FDA. Furthermore, recent research has shown this family of polymers to be biocompatible in the brain (6) and spinal cord (7).

The chemical structures of PLA, PGA, and PLGA.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

    Erin Lavik

  2. The Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

    Yang D. Teng

  3. Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics and Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

    Evan Snyder

  4. Department of Chemical Engineering and Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

    Robert Langer

Authors
  1. Erin Lavik
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  2. Yang D. Teng
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  3. Evan Snyder
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  4. Robert Langer
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, FL

    Tanja Zigova PhD , Paul R. Sanberg PhD, DSc  & Juan R. Sanchez-Ramos PhD, MD ,  & 

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© 2002 Humana Press Inc.

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Lavik, E., Teng, Y.D., Snyder, E., Langer, R. (2002). Seeding Neural Stem Cells on Scaffolds of PGA, PLA, and Their Copolymers. In: Zigova, T., Sanberg, P.R., Sanchez-Ramos, J.R. (eds) Neural Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 198. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-186-8:89

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-186-8:89

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-89603-964-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-186-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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