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Enzyme-Mediated Nerve Growth Factor Release from Nanofibers Using Gelatin Microspheres
Elizabeth A Mays1, Eric B Ellis2, Zahin Hussain3
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Tissue Engineering. Part A
|April 5, 2023
Summary
This study developed a novel biomaterial for controlled drug delivery after spinal cord injury. The material releases growth factors in response to immune cells, promoting nerve regeneration.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Neuroscience
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Spinal cord injury involves complex, dynamic molecular environments with conflicting growth factors.
- Current growth factor delivery methods yield mixed results, necessitating strategies that consider temporal delivery.
- The inflammatory response post-injury presents an opportunity for targeted, responsive drug delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a biomaterial system for immune-mediated, delayed release of growth factors (GFs).
- To create growth factor-loaded gelatin microsphere fibers (GMSF) using methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MeHA).
- To investigate the controlled release and functional efficacy of nerve growth factor (NGF) from GMSF in an simulated injury environment.
Main Methods:
- Electrospinning of gelatin microspheres (GMS) loaded with GFs and combined with MeHA to form GMS fibers (GMSF).
- Characterization of GMSF including fiber diameter and alignment.
- In vitro testing of GMSF with NGF on dorsal root ganglia cells, exposed to M1 macrophage-conditioned media (M1CM) to mimic immune response and trigger degradation.
Main Results:
- Successfully fabricated aligned GMSF with controlled fiber diameters.
- GMSF demonstrated cell-mediated degradation in M1CM, indicating responsiveness to immune signals.
- Neurons cultured on GMSF with NGF showed significantly enhanced neurite outgrowth in M1CM compared to controls, confirming functional NGF release.
Conclusions:
- The developed GMSF system enables tunable, immune-triggered drug delivery for spinal cord injury.
- This approach offers a promising strategy for sustained and localized delivery of therapeutic agents, exploiting the innate immune response for enhanced neural repair.
