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Journal of Bioactive and Compatible Polymers
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Effects of Starch/ Polycaprolactone-based Blends for Spinal Cord Injury Regeneration in Neurons/Glial Cells Viability and Proliferation

A.J. Salgado

Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal

R.A. Sousa

3B's Research Group - Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine AvePark, 4806-909 Taipas, Guimarães, Portugal, IBB, Institute for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, PT Associated Lab 4710-57 Braga, Portugal

J.S. Fraga

Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal

J.M. Pego

Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal

B.A. Silva

Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal

J.O. Malva

Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal, Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal

N.M. Neves

3B's Research Group - Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine AvePark, 4806-909 Taipas, Guimarães, Portugal, IBB, Institute for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, PT Associated Lab 4710-57 Braga, Portugal

R.L. Reis

3B's Research Group - Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine AvePark, 4806-909 Taipas, Guimarães, Portugal, IBB, Institute for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, PT Associated Lab 4710-57 Braga, Portugal

N. Sousa

Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal, njcsousa{at}ecsaude.uminho.pt

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to drastic alterations on the quality of life of afflicted individuals. With the advent of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine where approaches combining biomaterials, cells and growth factors are used, one can envisage novel strategies that can adequately tackle this problem. The objective of this study was to evaluate a blend of starch with poly({epsilon}-caprolactone) (SPCL) aimed to be used for the development of scaffolds spinal cord injury (SCI) repair. SPCL linear parallel filaments were deposited on polystyrene coverslips and assays were carried out using primary cultures of hippocampal neurons and glial cells. Light and fluorescence microscopy observations revealed that both cell populations were not negatively affected by the SPCL-based biomaterial. MTS and total protein quantification indicated that both cell viability and proliferation rates were similar to controls. Both neurons and astrocytes occasionally contacted the surface of SPCL filaments through their dendrites and cytoplasmatic processes, respectively, while microglial cells were unable to do so. Using single cell [Ca2+ ]i imaging, hippocampal neurons were observed growing within the patterned channels and were functional as assessed by the response to a 30 mM KCl stimulus. The present data demonstrated that SPCL-based blends are potentially suitable for the development of scaffolds in SCI regenerative medicine.

Key Words: biodegrable polymers • starch-poly({epsilon}-caprolactone) blends • cytotoxicity • neurons • glial • spinal cord injury • tissue engineering.

Journal of Bioactive and Compatible Polymers, Vol. 24, No. 3, 235-248 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0883911509104081


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