Abstract

A spinal cord injury (SCI) compresses the spinal cord, killing neurons and glia at the injury site and resulting in prolonged inflammation and scarring that prevents regeneration. Astrocytes, the main glia in the spinal cord, become reactive following SCI and contribute to adverse outcomes. The anti-inflammatory cytokine transforming growth factor beta 3 (TGFβ3) has been shown to mitigate astrocyte reactivity; however, the effects of prolonged TGFβ3 exposure on reactive astrocyte phenotype have not yet been explored. This study investigates whether magnetic core-shell electro spun fibers can be used to alter the release rate of TGFβ3 using externally applied magnetic fields, with the eventual application of tailored drug delivery based on SCI severity. Magnetic core-shell fibers are fabricated by incorporating superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) into the shell and TGFβ3 into the core solution for coaxial electrospinning. Magnetic field stimulation increased the release rate of TGFβ3 from the fibers by 25% over 7 days and released TGFβ3 reduced gene expression of key astrocyte reactivity markers by at least twofold. This is the first study to magnetically deliver bioactive proteins from magnetic fibers and to assess the effect of sustained release of TGFβ3 on reactive astrocyte phenotype.

Department(s)

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

Comments

National Institutes of Health, Grant NS092754

Keywords and Phrases

coaxial electrospinning; core-shell fibers; drug delivery; iron oxide nanoparticles; magnetic nanoparticles; reactive astrocytes

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2701-0198

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2025 Wiley, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Oct 2024

PubMed ID

38935534

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