3D Printed Stem‐Cell Derived Neural Progenitors Generate Spinal Cord Scaffolds |
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| Authors: | Daeha Joung Vincent Truong Colin C Neitzke Shuang‐Zhuang Guo Patrick J Walsh Joseph R Monat Fanben Meng Sung Hyun Park James R Dutton Ann M Parr Michael C McAlpine |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA;2. Department of Neurosurgery, Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA;3. Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA |
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| Abstract: | A bioengineered spinal cord is fabricated via extrusion‐based multimaterial 3D bioprinting, in which clusters of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)‐derived spinal neuronal progenitor cells (sNPCs) and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) are placed in precise positions within 3D printed biocompatible scaffolds during assembly. The location of a cluster of cells, of a single type or multiple types, is controlled using a point‐dispensing printing method with a 200 µm center‐to‐center spacing within 150 µm wide channels. The bioprinted sNPCs differentiate and extend axons throughout microscale scaffold channels, and the activity of these neuronal networks is confirmed by physiological spontaneous calcium flux studies. Successful bioprinting of OPCs in combination with sNPCs demonstrates a multicellular neural tissue engineering approach, where the ability to direct the patterning and combination of transplanted neuronal and glial cells can be beneficial in rebuilding functional axonal connections across areas of central nervous system (CNS) tissue damage. This platform can be used to prepare novel biomimetic, hydrogel‐based scaffolds modeling complex CNS tissue architecture in vitro and harnessed to develop new clinical approaches to treat neurological diseases, including spinal cord injury. |
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| Keywords: | 3D bioprinting induced pluripotent stem cells neural progenitor cells spinal cord scaffolds tissue engineering |
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