Scientists in the United States have made a new medical breakthrough, reprogramming stem cells into groups of neurons that have higher survival rates after a transplant. The breakthrough uses three-dimensional scaffolding to support the growth of the cells and to help them establish connections.

The cells form miniature networks of cells that are connected and capable of transmitting electrical signals. By creating these miniature networks, scientists can improve the survival rate of cells being used in transplantation, compared to injecting single cells.

After reprogramming the stem cells to form miniature groups with neuronal connections, scientists injected them into the brains of mice. They noticed that the “groups” of cells survived more easily and were more effective at working with existing brain tissue.

This breakthrough may help scientists discover a treatment for degenerative brain disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. So far, finding a treatment for these conditions has been limited by the high death rate of cells used in each transplant. It is hoped that reprogramming stem cells before transplantation will allow new treatments to succeed.

This new technology was developed with the support of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). The director of the institute, Rosemarie Hunziker, explains the importance of the discovery, saying: “Working together, the stem cell biologists and biomaterials experts developed a system capable of shuttling neural cells through the demanding journey of transplantation and engraftment into host brain tissue.”

Scientists experimented with scaffolds of different sizes to see which ones made reprogramming stem cells for transplantation easier. Eventually, they decided on using a polymer that has fairly thick fibres for the stem cells to attach to. The stem cells used in the project were induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs), which were derived from skin cells. The iPSCs were them prompted to turn into neurons through the addition of a protein called NeuroD1. The scaffold allowed them to group together. The neurons grown on the scaffolds also integrated into brain tissue more easily.

Source: 3D Technology Can Help Reprogramming Stem Cells into Neurons

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