Structural Reconstruction of Spinal Cord White Matter Using a Biomimetic Zoned Fiber-Hydrogel Scaffold

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Neuroscience
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Reconstructing the zonal architecture of gray and white matter after spinal cord injury (SCI) is a significant challenge.
• Existing methods struggle to replicate the complex native structure essential for neural tissue repair.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel bionic scaffold for reconstructing spinal cord gray and white matter architecture.
• To mimic the native zonal organization using oriented fibers and hydrogels.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a Gray/White Matter Zoned Scaffold (GWZS) by integrating oriented silk fibers (white matter mimic) within a hydrogel (gray matter mimic).
• 3D culture of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons within the GWZS to assess gray/white matter-analogous morphogenesis.
• In vivo transplantation of GWZS into SCI models to evaluate white matter reconstruction and neuroregeneration.

Main Results:

• The GWZS successfully recapitulated gray/white matter-analogous neuronal morphogenesis in vitro, forming neuronal clusters and oriented axonal bundles.
• In vivo transplantation demonstrated effective reconstruction of white matter architecture following SCI.
• Endogenous neuroregeneration in the gray matter region remained limited despite scaffold implantation.

Conclusions:

• The study presents a novel method for creating oriented fiber-hydrogel composite scaffolds for spinal cord repair.
• The GWZS provides a viable strategy for reconstructing white matter architecture post-SCI.
• Further strategies are needed to enhance neuroregeneration within the gray matter region.