Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2023, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (9): 1990-1998.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.366497

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Low-temperature 3D-printed collagen/chitosan scaffolds loaded with exosomes derived from neural stem cells pretreated with insulin growth factor-1 enhance neural regeneration after traumatic brain injury

Xiao-Yin Liu1, 2, #, Yin-He Feng3, #, Qing-Bo Feng4, #, Jian-Yong Zhang5, Lin Zhong6, Peng Liu1, Shan Wang1, Yan-Ruo Huang7, *, Xu-Yi Chen2, 8, *, Liang-Xue Zhou1, *#br#   

  1. 1Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China; 2Tianjin Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma Repair, Pingjin Hospital Brain Center, Characteristic Medical Center of Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, Tianjin, China; 3Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, People’s Hospital of Deyang City, Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu College of Medicine, Deyang, Sichuan Province, China; 4Department of Liver Surgery & Liver Transplantation, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Province, China; 5Department of General Surgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China; 6The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China; 7Department of Anesthesiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; 8Institute of Medical Security for Maritime Rights Protection of Characteristic Medical Center of Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, Tianjin, China
  • Online:2023-09-15 Published:2023-03-06
  • Contact: Liang-Xue Zhou, MD, zhlxlll@163.com; Xu-Yi Chen, MD, chenxuyi1979@126.com; Yan-Ruo Huang, MD, huangyanruo@126.com.
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the National Major Scientific and Technological Special Project for Significant New Drugs Development, No. 2019ZX09301-147 (to LXZ).

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Abstract: There are various clinical treatments for traumatic brain injury, including surgery, drug therapy, and rehabilitation therapy; however, the therapeutic effects are limited. Scaffolds combined with exosomes represent a promising but challenging method for improving the repair of traumatic brain injury. In this study, we determined the ability of a novel 3D-printed collagen/chitosan scaffold loaded with exosomes derived from neural stem cells pretreated with insulin-like growth factor-1 (3D-CC-INExos) to improve traumatic brain injury repair and functional recovery after traumatic brain injury in rats. Composite scaffolds comprising collagen, chitosan, and exosomes derived from neural stem cells pretreated with insulin-like growth factor-1 (INExos) continuously released exosomes for 2 weeks. Transplantation of 3D-CC-INExos scaffolds significantly improved motor and cognitive functions in a rat traumatic brain injury model, as assessed by the Morris water maze test and modified neurological severity scores. In addition, immunofluorescence staining and transmission electron microscopy showed that 3D-CC-INExos implantation significantly improved the recovery of damaged nerve tissue in the injured area. In conclusion, this study suggests that transplanted 3D-CC-INExos scaffolds might provide a potential strategy for the treatment of traumatic brain injury and lay a solid foundation for clinical translation.

Key words: 3D printing, angiogenesis, chitosan, collagen, exosomes, functional recovery, insulin-like growth factor-1, neural regeneration, neural stem cells, traumatic brain injury