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Identifier 000460799
Title 3D scaffolds for neural regeneration
Alternative Title Τρισδιάστατα ικριώματα με εφαρμογές στην αναγέννηση του νευρικού ιστού
Author Κόρδας, Αντώνης
Thesis advisor Ρανέλλα, Ανθή
Φαρσάρη, Μαρία
Βελόνια, Καλλιόπη
Reviewer Αθανασάκη, Ειρήνη
Μπαζοπούλου, Δάφνη
Ρεμεδιάκης, Ιωάννης
Παυλίδης, Ιωάννης
Abstract Tissues and organs lose function due to causes like disease, trauma and congenital effects. The Nervous System (NS) is one example where such losses have detrimental effects in life quality. Although the NS has some regenerative capability, the efficiency is not perfect. Conventional methods like traditional surgery and grafts have been applied, however their drawbacks highlight the need to develop more efficient methods. Tissue Engineering (TE) is a field that aims to create biomimetic environments to restore tissue functionality. More specifically, TE uses scaffolds as platforms for cell cultures and in combination with growth factors aims to form a functional tissue part that will be used as a transplant. Although TE aims to develop transplants, there is a U-turn towards cell lines for in vitro experimentation and development of in vitro experimental models for the study of NS diseases and explain key cellular activities. Cell lines are cheaper with greater longevity than primary cells while reducing ethical concerns. To this end, the use of stem cells has been considered as the future of NS-TE. Stem cells have self-renewal and multipotency capacity, making them a very versatile tool in NS-TE as they can of differentiate into multiple cell types and allow development of more complex systems that better resemble the native tissue. Combination of TE and other technologies has always been a consideration in NS-TE. Since the NS is a very complex system, many strategies have been implemented to the core concept of NS-TE to improve its’ performance. Examples are the Electrical Stimulation (ES) of cells, use of multiple growth factors, implementation of therapeutic molecules for drug delivery and application of stress (like shear-stress) to achieve specific cell orientation like in blood circulation. In this thesis the development of novel biomimetic environments that can be used as in vitro experimental models for the study of neuronal differentiation using scaffolds as culture substrates and monitoring cell activities such as cell-scaffold and cell-cell interactions is investigated. The models can provide insight of cell interactions and experimental conditions before proceeding to the development of transplants. The aim is achieved by combining the concept of TE alongside other strategies and the examination of neuronal differentiation, functional network formation and axon fate by evaluating the combined effects of scaffolds with the stimuli provided. More specifically, a first effort was made towards the fabrication of a novel geometry, providing a 3D environment with specific topography for the mono- and co-cultures of glial Schwann (SW10) and neuronal N2a cells, which is a pair the very closely mimics the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) but has not been extensively studied, providing an excellent alternative for the understanding of PNS-related diseases and important processes like myelination and offering a new in vitro experimental model for long-term cultures that showcases the synergistic effects of co-culturing and scaffold topography towards neuronal differentiation, increase in axon length and directionality and formation of functional networks. To expand, a simpler groove scaffold with a single topographical cue was utilized for the culture of NE-4C cells that underwent ES for the development of a cell-friendly ES environment that would offer a new in vitro experimental model for the ES of NE-4C cells. Experiments were conducted for untreated (no ES) and treated (ES) cultures monitoring differentiation, formation of neurospheres, axon elongation and formation of networks. The synergistic effects of scaffold topography and ES were reported highlighting the effectiveness of the ES environment and its’ efficiency as an experimental tool for the study of the Central Nervous System (CNS). The experimental models developed study cell-scaffold and cell-cell interaction under various experimental conditions and stimuli, promote neuronal activity and differentiation, favor the formation of functional networks and show the synergy between scaffolds and other stimuli. It should be noted that some of the elements of the experimental models can be combined, underlying their versatility. It is expected that the models can offer new in vitro possibilities and with further optimization they could be used as models for implant development.
Language English
Subject Biomimetic environments
IN vitro πειραματικά μοντέλα
In vitro experimental models
Neural tissue engineering
Βιομιμητικά περιβάλοντα
Μηχανική νευρικού ιστού
Νευροαναγέννηση
Issue date 2023-11-29
Collection   School/Department--School of Sciences and Engineering--Department of Materials Science and Technology--Post-graduate theses
  Type of Work--Post-graduate theses
Permanent Link https://elocus.lib.uoc.gr//dlib/e/b/d/metadata-dlib-1701427555-955918-31732.tkl Bookmark and Share
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