Bespoke Brain-Cell Implants
“Damaged brain tissue can possibly be re-grown using a new method that lets researchers guide stem cells into exactly the type of brain cells they need for a particular spot. They’re targeting new treatments for stroke, traumatic brain injury and MS. The brain and spinal cord have a limited capacity to regenerate after an injury. Following a primary injury caused by stroke, traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury, inflammation and the formation of scar tissue cause secondary tissue damage that’s hard to heal. . . . Using hydrogels as a medium for stem cells is not a new thing. But relatively few researchers have used positively charged, or cationic, hydrogels. So, for the current study, the researchers set about synthesizing one. The key was the cationic molecule trimethylaminoethyl acrylate (TMAEA); with it, they created six gels (G1 to G6) with increasing cationic charge concentrations. G1 was not charged and acted as a neutral reference gel.” MORE
Image Credit: NewAtlas and AI generated by DALL-E