Bioprinted schwann and mesenchymal stem cell co-cultures for enhanced spatial control of neurite outgrowthShow others and affiliations
2023 (English)In: Gels, E-ISSN 2310-2861, Vol. 9, no 3, article id 172Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Bioprinting nerve conduits supplemented with glial or stem cells is a promising approach to promote axonal regeneration in the injured nervous system. In this study, we examined the effects of different compositions of bioprinted fibrin hydrogels supplemented with Schwann cells and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on cell viability, production of neurotrophic factors, and neurite outgrowth from adult sensory neurons. To reduce cell damage during bioprinting, we analyzed and optimized the shear stress magnitude and exposure time. The results demonstrated that fibrin hydrogel made from 9 mg/mL of fibrinogen and 50IE/mL of thrombin maintained the gel’s highest stability and cell viability. Gene transcription levels for neurotrophic factors were significantly higher in cultures containing Schwann cells. However, the amount of the secreted neurotrophic factors was similar in all co-cultures with the different ratios of Schwann cells and MSCs. By testing various co-culture combinations, we found that the number of Schwann cells can feasibly be reduced by half and still stimulate guided neurite outgrowth in a 3D-printed fibrin matrix. This study demonstrates that bioprinting can be used to develop nerve conduits with optimized cell compositions to guide axonal regeneration.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
MDPI, 2023. Vol. 9, no 3, article id 172
Keywords [en]
3D bioprinting, biosynthetic conduit, dorsal root ganglion, mesenchymal stem cells, nerve regeneration, Schwann cells
National Category
Neurosciences Other Physics Topics Cell Biology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-205908DOI: 10.3390/gels9030172ISI: 000958086200001PubMedID: 36975621Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85151501139OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-205908DiVA, id: diva2:1745381
Funder
Swedish Research Council, 2014–2306Umeå UniversityRegion Västerbotten, 7002408Swedish Dental Association2023-03-222023-03-222023-04-13Bibliographically approved