Decellularized extracellular matrix and mesenchymal stem cells promote recovery in traumatic brain injury by synergistically enhancing neurogenesis and attenuating neuroinflammation

Damaged neurons and harsh microenvironments contribute to the injury cascades following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy is considered a viable choice for brain in-jury treatment; however, its clinical use is hindered by limited engraftment, low survival ratio, and uncontrolled differentiation. Herein, the decellularized brain extracellular matrix (dBECM) was prepared through a new method as a delivery system for MSCs. dBECM-based hydrogel with favorable biochem-ical and biomechanical features provides a microenvironment for MSCs in nerve repair. The MSCs-encapsulated dBECM-based hydrogel is shown to improve neuron compensation and structural regen-eration, alleviate neuroinflammation, and promote M1-to-M2 polarization of microglia. Our results first demonstrate that the combination of dBECM and MSCs is a critical vehicle to promote TBI repair from neurogenesis and immunoregulation, showing promise for the physiological recovery of neurogenic dis-eases and injuries.(c) 2022 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology.

Automated summary

Damaged neurons and harsh microenvironments contribute to the injury cascades following TBI. MSC therapy using dBECM-based hydrogel shows promise in promoting TBI repair by improving neuron compensation, structural regeneration, alleviating neuroinflammation, and promoting microglia polarization. This study highlights the importance of combining dBECM and MSCs as a critical vehicle for neurogenesis and immunoregulation in TBI repair.