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In vitro model of traumatic brain injury to screen neuro-regenerative biomaterials

Basit, RH; Tzerakis, N; Jenkins, S; Chari, D M

Authors

RH Basit

N Tzerakis



Abstract

Penetrating traumatic brain injury (pTBI) causes serious neurological deficits with no clinical regenerative therapies currently available. Tissue engineering strategies using biomaterial-based ‘structural bridges’ offer high potential to promote neural regeneration post-injury. This includes surgical grade materials which can be repurposed as biological scaffolds to overcome challenges associated with long approval processes and scaleup for human application. However, high throughput, pathomimetic models of pTBI are lacking for the developmental testing of such neuro-materials, representing a bottleneck in this rapidly emergent field. We have established a high throughput and facile culture model containing the major neural cell types which govern biomaterial handling in the central nervous system. We show that induction of traumatic injuries was feasible in the model, with post-injury implantation of a surgical grade biomaterial. Cellular imaging in lesions was achievable using standard epifluorescence microscopy methods. Key pathological features of pTBI were evident in vitro namely immune cell infiltration of lesions/biomaterial, with responses characteristic of cell scarring, namely hypertrophic astrocytes with GFAP upregulation. Based on our observations, we consider the high-throughput, inexpensive and facile pTBI model can be used to study biomaterial ‘implantation’ and evaluate neural cell-biomaterial responses. The model is highly versatile to test a range of laboratory and clinical grade materials for neural regeneration.

Citation

Basit, R., Tzerakis, N., Jenkins, S., & Chari, D. M. (2021). In vitro model of traumatic brain injury to screen neuro-regenerative biomaterials. Materials Science and Engineering: C, 112253 - 112253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2021.112253

Acceptance Date Jun 11, 2021
Publication Date Sep 1, 2021
Journal Materials Science and Engineering: C
Print ISSN 0928-4931
Publisher Elsevier
Pages 112253 - 112253
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2021.112253
Keywords Microglia; Scarring; Immune cells; Astrocyte; Surgical materials
Publisher URL https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0928493121003933