Neural Tissue Engineering Research

The development of GTEC's new Neural Tissue Engineering research thrust is the logical outgrowth of recent faculty hirings and institutional investments at Georgia Tech and Emory University. These investments have resulted in the acquisition of significant strength in the field of neural tissue engineering. The Neural Tissue Engineering research thrust will focus on two classes of problems: A) repair of damaged CNS/PNS pathways: use tissue engineering methodologies to functionally repair and regenerate traumatized intrinsic CNS and PNS pathways; and B) innervation and control of native and/or tissue engineered constructs: use a combination of stem cell therapy and electrical stimulation to provide innervation and control of tissue engineered constructs (or native tissue) such as muscle, bone or skin.

Current GTEC Funded Projects

Cell technology: Strategies for producing cells with appropriate functional characteristics will be developed. Ongoing research efforts include:

• utilizing primary neural stem cells and embryonic stem cells to evaluate the potential to enhance behavioral recovery after traumatic injury to the cortex of the brain.

• evaluating neural stem cell and embryonic stem cell technology for the potential to enhance spinal cord regeneration.

• the evaluation of adult bone marrow derived stem cells for their potential as motor neuron sources to generate tissue engineered neuro-muscular junctions that can be controlled via Functional Electrical Stimulation.

Construct technology: Biological scaffolds will be developed for use in neural tissue engineered applications. These will be ones with appropriate mechanical properties and which can be used to engineer appropriate mechano-functional characteristics. Ongoing investigations include:

• the development of extracellular matrix protein and other hydrogel scaffolds to improve survival of embryonic stem and adult stem cells in vivo after transplantation after brain trauma.

• in situ gelling hydrogel scaffolds for presentation of chemotactic and haptotactic cures to enhance peripheral nerve regeneration.

• Contact Guidance based 3D scaffolds for guided nerve regeneration.

• the development of safe, sustained delivery technologies for protein and nucleic acid delivery in vivo for treatment of spinal cord injuries.

• the exploration of entubulation technologies for branching and grafting of existing nerves to re-innervation of de-innervated tissues, or re-innervation of tissue engineered constructs.

• the development of tissue engineered inspired coatings for microelectrode arrays to promote integration of electrodes with brain/brain slices.

Integration into living systems: Strategies will be developed for the integration of tissue-engineered constructs into living systems and for the engineering of immune acceptance of these substitutes. Ongoing investigations include:

• establishing animal models for CNS injuries and intervention.

• in vivo imaging and quantitative functional recovery assessment of tissue engineered constructs.

• Development of quantitative behavioral assessment tools for evaluation of injury and regeneration in the nervous system

• Establishment of a number of short and long nerve gap in vivo models for peripheral nerve regeneration.