A team of Materials Institute of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC) has managed to reconnect the fully sectioned spinal cord of a thoracic rat thanks to an innovative three-dimensional foam of reduced graphene oxide. This advance, recently published in the magazine Material Bioactiveshows the enormous potential of this material for the treatment of medullary lesions and opens a new route of research for paraplegic patients.
Spinal cord lesions rarely cause total break, generally affecting concrete regions. However, this study wanted to go further and demonstrate that, even in cases of full section, the reconnection of the neural tissue is possible. «Our team had already shown that these foams generate a prorrepararative atmosphere in the rat spinal cord, but we wanted to try it with a more extensive lesion and at another spinal level. We have managed to replicate the results, ”he explains Conchi SerranoICMM-CSIC researcher and one of the main authors of the study.
In collaboration with researchers of the National Hospital of Paraplegics of Toledothe team has developed a foam (scaffold) of reduced graphene oxide under 220ºC thermal treatment. This process eliminates the excess of oxygen groups and reinforces the links between the materials of the material, improving its mechanical stability.
When implanting the Scaffold In the injured area, the researchers observed the appearance of fundamental blood vessels to nourish the new tissue, as well as neuritas, the filaments that connect the neurons. «The neurons that have survived Around the lesion they project their extensions through the scaffold, invading it in all its three -dimensional structure, ”says Serrano. In addition, the results improve over time: after 10 days of implant, changes are already observed, but at four months they are even more promising.
A step forward in the cure of medullary lesions
The data show that graphene scaffold encourages the formation of largest and largest blood vessels, as well as longer neurites and homogeneous distributed in the area of the lesion. These findings have been confirmed with electrophysiological records that measure brain activity in the face of the stimulation of the spinal cord below the injured area. “We observe response in the brain, confirming that the neural tissue not only crosses the scaffold, but also reconnected with the brain,” says Serrano. Specifically, the activity is located in the reticular formation, a key region for motor function.
This advance is part of the European project Piezo4spinefinanced by the program Horizon Pathfinder Europewhose objective is to cure spinal injuries through nanotechnology. In the next phase, the team will incorporate nanomedicines into the scaffold to further enhance its regenerative effects.
Reduced graphene oxide is emerging as a key tool in the search for therapies for medullary lesions, offering hope for millions of people affected by this condition worldwide.
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