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Related Experiment Videos

Chemically-bound nerve growth factor for neural tissue engineering applications.

Terri Adams Kapur1, Molly S Shoichet

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E5, Canada.

Journal of Biomaterials Science. Polymer Edition
|May 16, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed a photochemical method to immobilize nerve growth factor (NGF) onto implantable hydrogel scaffolds. This technique enables controlled delivery of NGF for spinal cord injury regeneration, showing bioactivity in vitro.

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Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Neuroscience
  • Regenerative Medicine

Background:

  • Spinal cord injury (SCI) hinders neuronal regeneration.
  • Growth factors, like nerve growth factor (NGF), are crucial for neuronal survival and neurite guidance.
  • Current methods for applying growth factors in vivo are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a photochemical method for immobilizing NGF onto poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) (PHEMA) hydrogels.
  • To create an implantable device for controlled NGF delivery in SCI regeneration studies.
  • To assess the bioactivity of NGF immobilized on PHEMA gels.

Main Methods:

  • Synthesized and characterized a photoreactive poly(allylamine) (PAA) for surface modification.
  • Applied PAA to PHEMA gels to create a cell-adhesive and photoreactive layer.

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  • Used UV exposure to immobilize NGF onto the PAA-modified PHEMA surface.
  • Quantified immobilized NGF using direct ELISA.
  • Assessed bioactivity using a pheochromocytoma (PC-12) cell-based assay.

    • Main Results:

    • Successfully immobilized NGF onto PHEMA gels with a density of 5.65 ± 0.82 ng/cm².
    • Immobilized NGF demonstrated significant bioactivity, with 30 ± 7% of PC-12 cells responding.
    • The bioactivity of immobilized NGF was comparable to soluble NGF.

    Conclusions:

    • Photochemical immobilization of NGF onto PHEMA hydrogels is a viable method for creating bioactive scaffolds.
    • This technique allows for spatial control of NGF presentation, potentially enabling stable concentration gradients.
    • This approach holds promise for developing advanced implantable devices for spinal cord injury regeneration.