Neural tissue engineering
Neural tissue engineering is primarily a search for strategies to eliminate inflammation and fibrosis upon implantation of foreign substances.
General body functions are supervised by the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord.
The PNS delivers motor signals to control body activities and receives sensory data from the CNS.
The PNS's autonomic nervous system (ANS), whose sympathetic and parasympathetic branches preserve homeostasis and regulate involuntary physiological functions.
[1] The "fight-or-flight" reaction is triggered by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which is derived from the thoracic and upper lumbar spinal cord.
The parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS), on the other hand, is derived from the brainstem and sacral spinal cord and facilitates normal physiological processes by encouraging rest and energy conservation.
[3] Obesity and sleep deprivation, for example, can impair immunity, and long-term stress can erode immunological responses, making people more vulnerable to infections like COVID-19.
Comprehensive information on bidirectional crosstalk pathways is frequently lacking, despite evidence of functional links between the neurological and immune systems already in place.
Their well-structured composition promotes efficient immune responses, protecting the body against external chemicals, infections, and malignancies.
[6] Regional innervation of lymph nodes involves complex participation from the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS).
Studies have shown that nerve fibers originate from the hilum, travel along blood vessels, cross medullary areas, and form subscapular plexuses.
The term "acupuncture" refers to the ancient Chinese medical technique of gently stimulating nociceptors and receptors with tiny needles inserted into certain body sites in order to treat various ailments, including pain and inflammation.
[10] The FDA-approved therapy for depression and epilepsy, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), may also be beneficial for non-neurological conditions such rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
Chemical therapies, such as peripheral nervous system (PNS) modulation, are being investigated for the treatment of infectious and inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and issues associated with diabetes.
Adult stem cell neurogenesis in the CNS has been found to occur in the hippocampus, the subventricular zone (SVZ), and spinal cord.
[16] Proposed use of electrospun polymeric fibrous scaffolds for neural repair substrates dates back to at least 1986 in a NIH SBIR application from Simon.
[18] Recent research into creating miniature cortexes, known as corticopoiesis, and brain models, known as cerebral organoids, are techniques that could further the field of neural tissue regeneration.
These morphogens help maintain homeostasis and neural signaling pathways, and they can be delivered into the injury site to promote the growth of the injured tissues.
This method could treat injuries that consist of large cavities, where larger amounts of neural tissue needs to be replaced and regenerated.
[23] Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is a potential co-factor to promote functional activation of ES cell-derived neurons into the CNS injury sites.
Laminin, collagen, and fibronectin, which are all ECM components, guide axonal development and promote neural stimulation and activity.
Other molecules that have the potential to promote nerve repair are: hyaluronic acid, fibrinogen, fibrin gels, self-assembling peptide scaffolds, alginate, agarose, and chitosan.
Synthetic materials also provide another method for tissue regeneration in which the graft's chemical and physical properties can be controlled.
EVs have the potential to be used as therapeutic delivery vehicles[26] and diagnostic biomarkers[27] and play roles in immunological responses, cancer, tissue regeneration, and neurological diseases.
Damaged neurons generate neuron-derived exosomes (NDEs), which can influence target cells by transferring a variety of cargos, including the Zika virus.
EVs have been shown to promote neuroimmune crosstalk, allowing for both local and distant tissue and cell communication.
Additionally, the delivery of stem cells and other morphogens to the site of injury can cause more harm than good if they induce tumorigenesis, inflammation, or other unforeseen effects.
Mouse ESCs are cultured in a protein called Sonic Hedgehog inhibitor to promote the development of dorsal forebrain and study cortical fate.
Currently, devices are being investigated that take in and record the electrical signals that are propagated through neurons in response to a person's intent to move.
