AUTHOR=Glotzbach Kristin , Stamm Nils , Weberskirch Ralf , Faissner Andreas 

TITLE=Hydrogels Derivatized With Cationic Moieties or Functional Peptides as Efficient Supports for Neural Stem Cells

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2020

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2020.00475

DOI=10.3389/fnins.2020.00475

ISSN=1662-453X

ABSTRACT=The increasing incidence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease represents a significant burden for patients and national health systems. The conditions are primarily caused by the death of neurons and other neural cell types. One important aim of current stem cell research is to find a way to replace the lost cells. In this perspective, neural stem cells have been considered as a promising tool in the field of regenerative medicine. The behavior of neural stem cells is modulated by environmental influences, for example hormones, growth factors, cytokines, extracellular matrix molecules or biomechanical properties. These factors can be studied by using well-defined hydrogels, polymeric networks of synthetic or natural origin that swell in water. These gels can be modified with a variety of molecules and optimized with regard to their mechanical properties to mimic the natural extracellular environment. In particular modifications applying distinct units such as functional domains and peptides can modulate the development of neural stem cells (NSCs) with regard to proliferation, differentiation and migration. One well-known peptide sequence that affects the behavior of NSCs is the integrin recognition sequence RDG that has originally been derived from fibronectin. In the present mini review we provide an overview concerning the applications of modified hydrogels with an emphasis on synthetic hydrogels based on poly(acrylamides), as modified with either cationic moieties or the peptide sequence RGD. This knowledge might be used in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine for the therapy of spinal cord injuries, neurodegenerative diseases and traumata.