New Nanobiomaterial Inhibits Inflammation, Boosts Neuronal Growth in Mice

A new study successfully demonstrated the efficacy of a nanobiomaterial in mice with spinal cord injuries - inhibiting inflammation and boosting neuronal growth.

Researchers from the Department of Orthopedics at Tongji Hospital, Tonji University in Shanghai, China, used a nanobiomaterial known as layered double hydroxide (LDH) in their study, which was also found to have accelerated regeneration and the reconstruction of the neural circuit. Additionally, the Tongji Hospital scientists understood the genetic mechanisms by which the LDH nanomaterial functions. This understanding opens potential therapy modifications that could be used as a comprehensive and clinically feasibly approach for approaching spinal cord injury relief in humans.

Scientists present their findings in the report "Immunomodulatory Layered Double Hydroxide Nanoparticles Enable Neurogenesis by Targeting Transforming Growth Factor-β Receptor 2," appearing in the latest ACS Nano journal.

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Addressing Spinal Cord Injuries in Humans

Currently, there is no effective treatment for spinal cord injuries, which often comes with neuron death, breakage of nerve fibers (axons), and inflammation around the affected area. While the body continues to generate new nerve cells and neural stem cells, the inflammatory environment - referring to the immediate and small-scale conditions at the injury's location - severely inhibits neurons and axons from regenerating in the site. Additionally, prolonged activation of immune cells in the area could also lead to secondary lesions in the nervous system, preventing development, such as stem cells differentiating themselves into specialized cell types.

Researchers proposed that if the aggressive immune response at the injury site could be "moderated," this raises the possibility of neural stem cells continuing development and begin differentiation further to encourage neural regeneration at the site of the injury.

Earlier efforts have led to the development of various biomaterials at the nanoscale, designed to interact with or be integrated with biological systems. Some of these materials were designed to encourage neural stem cell development - mobilization and differentiation - while some are intended for accurate drug delivery and speed up regeneration.

While the nanomaterial created from these previous studies has allowed neuronal regeneration to occur, only a few of them had the capability to moderate immune reaction at the site of injury. Without addressing inflammation and immune response, the root of the problem remains.

The Potential of LDH

Layered double hydroxide (LDH) is described as clay with interesting biological properties that can be used for spinal cord injuries. It has good biocompatibility, which makes it suitable for the human body and reduces risks of rejection, safely biodegrades after application, and has great anti-inflammatory capabilities. LDH has been a subject of medical studies looking to employ the nanobiomaterial for various applications, mostly in the treatment of tumors.

"These properties made LDH a really promising candidate for the creation of a much more beneficial microenvironment for spinal cord injury recovery," said Rongrong Zhu, first author of the study from the Department of Orthopedics at Tongji Hospital, in a statement.

Researchers transplanted LDH into the mice with spinal injuries and discovered that the introduced nanomaterials significantly accelerated neural stem cell migration, differentiation, and even induced nerve impulse activation.