TERG scientists also developed a different 3D-implant innovation to heal spinal injuries last year.
Researchers from the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences have developed a new 3D implant solution that helps heal spinal cord injuries.
Their study, published in the journal Bioactive Materials, shows how a 3D implant designed to copy the structure and stiffness of the spinal cord – combined with tiny, growth-promoting particles engineered to carry RNA – can help regrow nerve cells.
The study was led by researchers at RCSI’s Tissue Engineering Research Group (TERG) and Amber, the Research Ireland Centre based in Trinity College Dublin.
It was supported by the Irish Rugby Football Union Charitable Trust and Research Ireland, with additional funding from the UK’s Anatomical Society and the Irish Health Research Board.
Spinal cord injuries can often result in permanent paralysis caused by damaged neurons in the central nervous system that have a very limited capacity to regrow. According to RCSI, while implants can provide physical support at the site of the injury, nerve cells generally face molecular barriers that prevent regrowth.
RCSI scientists are trying to overcome this with a multifunctional implant that supports regenerating tissue while also delivering RNA-based signals that encourage neurons to switch their growth mechanisms back on. These signals target and silence a gene called PTEN that suppresses neuron regrowth after injury.
“We’ve created an environment that both physically and biologically re-enhances the regenerative capacity of injured neurons, which is a key requirement for restoring function after spinal cord injury,” said Prof Fergal O’Brien, the deputy vice-chancellor for research and innovation at RCSI.
“In laboratory models of spinal cord injury, neurons exposed to the RNA-activated implant showed significantly enhanced growth,” he added. O’Brien is a professor of bioengineering and regenerative medicine, and the head of TERG.
Dr Tara McGuire, who carried out the research as a PhD student in TERG, added: “While this study focused on laboratory models, the next steps will to be to test the approach in vivo and explore how RNA-activated biomaterials could help bridge damaged spinal cord tissue and restore lost connections.”
TERG scientists came up with a different innovation to heal spinal injuries last year, integrating nanomaterials into a soft, gel-like structure to stimulate neuron and stem cell growth.
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