Dynamic Tuning of MSC-Based Scaffolds for Neurological Protection After Brain or CNS Injury

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Neurological disorders like stroke and spinal cord injury cause significant mortality and morbidity.
• Current treatments for neurological disorders primarily address neuroinflammation, not tissue or neuronal regeneration.
• Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offer therapeutic potential via immunomodulation and neuroprotection, but direct transplantation faces challenges like poor cell survival and retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review mechanotransduction signaling pathways involved in MSC-based biomaterial scaffolds for CNS injury.
• To explore how these scaffolds facilitate the transition from reparative to regenerative medicine for neurological disorders.
• To highlight the role of hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels in enhancing MSC-based therapies.

Main Methods:

• This narrative review examines preclinical evidence on MSC-based biomaterial scaffolds.
• Focuses on mechanotransduction pathways including integrin-FAK, PI3K/Akt, Rho/ROCK, and YAP/TAZ.
• Investigates the application of these scaffolds, particularly HA hydrogels, in central nervous system (CNS) injury models.

Main Results:

• Mechanotransduction pathways are crucial for MSCs within biomaterial scaffolds to promote CNS repair.
• Dynamically tunable MSC-scaffold systems demonstrate potential in preclinical studies for neural tissue engineering.
• Hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels show promise as effective scaffolds for MSC delivery in CNS injury.

Conclusions:

• MSC-based biomaterial scaffolds, especially HA hydrogels, represent a promising strategy for regenerative medicine in CNS injuries.
• Understanding mechanotransduction pathways is key to optimizing MSC behavior within scaffolds.
• Further translational studies and clinical trials are necessary to validate the therapeutic efficacy and applicability of these regenerative approaches.