该类器官模型能够重现损伤后的典型变化，包括细胞死亡、炎症反应以及胶质瘢痕形成。胶质瘢痕是由 密集疤痕组织构成的物理化学屏障，长期以来被认为是阻碍神经再生的主要障碍。 团队重点测试了一种被称为"跳动分子"的新型疗法。该疗法在早前动物实验中已显示出能促进组织修复 并逆转瘫痪的效果。在本次类器官实验中，受损组织在治疗后表现出显著的神经元轴突生长，同时胶质 瘢痕样组织也明显减少。这些结果进一步支持该疗法具有转化为临床应用的潜力，其已获得美国食品药 品监督管理局的认证，有望为脊髓损伤患者提供新的治疗选择。 来源：科技日报 科技日报北京2月11日电 （记者张梦然）美国西北大学科学家开发出迄今最先进的人类脊髓损伤类器官 模型，能精准模拟脊髓损伤的关键病理特征，并为测试新型再生疗法提供了高效平台。该研究首次利用 实验室培养的人类脊髓类器官（即由干细胞衍生的微型器官结构）模拟了不同类型脊髓损伤，并验证了 具有潜力的新型"跳动分子"治疗策略。相关成果发表于新一期《自然·生物医学工程》。 该脊髓类器官直径可达数毫米，具备较高的成熟度和复杂性，包含神经元、星形胶质细胞以及首次被引 入的中枢神经系统免疫细胞。这使得模型能更真实地模拟损 ...

Core Insights - Northwestern University scientists have developed the most advanced human spinal cord injury organoid model to date, which accurately simulates key pathological features of spinal cord injuries and provides an efficient platform for testing new regenerative therapies [1][2] - The organoid model replicates typical changes after injury, including cell death, inflammatory responses, and glial scar formation, which has long been considered a major barrier to nerve regeneration [1] Group 1: Organoid Model Development - The spinal cord organoid can reach several millimeters in diameter and possesses high maturity and complexity, containing neurons, astrocytes, and central nervous system immune cells, allowing for a more realistic simulation of inflammatory responses during injury [2] - The team simulated different types of spinal cord injuries through physical cutting to mimic lacerations and compression to simulate contusions, both of which induced pathological changes consistent with real injuries [2] Group 2: "Jumping Molecule" Therapy - The "jumping molecule" therapy is part of a supramolecular therapeutic peptide platform, enhancing interactions with cell receptors through molecular dynamic motion [2] - After injection, the material self-assembles into a nanofiber network that mimics the extracellular matrix structure of spinal cord cells, reducing inflammation, decreasing glial scars, and promoting orderly extension and growth of neurons, which is crucial for reconstructing interrupted neural connections [2] - The mobility of the molecules is a key factor for the therapy's effectiveness, as control experiments showed that less mobile molecules did not induce similar regenerative effects, providing important insights into the therapy's mechanism of action [2]