3D打印神经支架可用于修复脊髓损伤

Core Insights - A groundbreaking method combining 3D printing, stem cell biology, and lab-cultured tissue technology has been developed by a research team at the University of Minnesota, offering new hope for spinal cord injury repair [1][2] - Over 300,000 individuals in the U.S. suffer from spinal cord injuries, with no effective means to fully reverse the resulting neurological damage and paralysis [1] - The innovative 3D-printed scaffold supports the growth of spinal cord organoids and contains region-specific spinal neural progenitor cells (sNPC) derived from human adult stem cells, which can self-renew and differentiate into various mature neural cells [1] Research Findings - The scaffold creates a neural relay system that, when implanted into the spinal cord, bypasses the damaged area and reconstructs neural signal pathways [1] - In animal experiments, the sNPC-containing scaffold was transplanted into completely transected rat spinal cords, resulting in the successful differentiation of implanted cells into functional neurons, extending nerve fibers in both rostral and caudal directions, and establishing new synaptic connections with the host spinal cord's existing neural network [1][2] Future Implications - The integration of newly formed neural tissue with the host spinal cord significantly enhances motor function recovery in rats, indicating the potential of this technology to restore neural conduction capabilities in damaged spinal cords [2] - The research is still in its early stages, primarily validating feasibility in animal models, but the scaffold presents unprecedented hope for curing spinal cord injuries [2]