A Protein Composite Neural Scaffold Modulates Astrocyte Migration and Transcriptome Profile

Bioscaffold implantation is a promising approach to facilitate the repair and regeneration of wounded neural tissue after injury to the spinal cord or peripheral nerves. However, such bioscaffold grafts currently result in only limited functional recovery. The generation of a neural scaffold using a combination of collagen and glutenin is reported. The conduit material and mechanical properties, as well as its effect on astrocyte behavior is tested. After neural injuries, astrocytes move into the lesion and participate in the process of remodeling the micro-architecture of the wounded neural tissue. In this study, human astrocytes grown on glutenin-collagen scaffolds show higher motility and a lower proliferation rate compared with those grown on collagen scaffolds. RNA sequencing reveals that astrocytes grown on the two types of scaffolds show differentially expressed genes in Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways such as actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesion that regulate astrocyte migration on scaffolds. The gene expression of aggrecan and versican, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans that inhibit axonal growth, is down-regulated in astrocytes grown on glutenin-collagen scaffolds. These outcomes indicate that the implantation of glutenin-collagen scaffolds may promote astrocyte function in the neural regeneration process by enhanced cell migration and reduced glial scar formation.