Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Oct 15;41(20):E1201-E1207.
doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000001611.

Self-assembling Peptide Reduces Glial Scarring, Attenuates Posttraumatic Inflammation, and Promotes Neurite Outgrowth of Spinal Motor Neurons

Kei Ando  1 , Shiro Imagama  1 , Zenya Ito  1 , Kazuyoshi Kobayashi  1 , Tetsuro Hida  1 , Hiroaki Nakashima  1 , Kenyu Ito  1 , Mikito Tsushima  1 , Yoshimoto Ishikawa  1 , Akiyuki Matsumoto  1 , Koji Nishida  2 , Yoshihiro Nishida  1 , Naoki Ishiguro  1
Affiliations
Free article

Self-assembling Peptide Reduces Glial Scarring, Attenuates Posttraumatic Inflammation, and Promotes Neurite Outgrowth of Spinal Motor Neurons

Kei Ando et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). .
Free article

Abstract

Study design: Self-assembling peptide gel (SPG-178) provides new evidence for the role of a scaffold for treatment of the spinal cord through induction of neuroprotective factors.

Objective: To verify the reproducibility of SPG-178 as scaffold after spinal cord injury, we examine the characteristics of SPG-178 and protective effect on neural cells in vitro and in vivo.

Summary of background data: The central nervous system extracellular matrix may play a role in maintenance of the neuronal network by inhibiting axonal growth and suppressing formation of additional inadequate synapses. In this study, we show increased expression of nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-4 (NT-4), and tropomyosin receptor kinase (TrkA and TrkB) in SPG-178-promoted neurite outgrowth of motor neurons in vitro, and decreased inflammation and glial scar with use of SPG-178 in vivo.

Methods: We examined the effect of a self-assembling peptide, SPG-178, as a scaffold for neurite outgrowth of spinal motor neurons in vitro. An in vivo analysis was performed to evaluate if the SPG-178 scaffold attenuated or enhanced expression of various genes after spinal cord injury model rats.

Results: Expression of NGF, BDNF, NT-4, TrkA, and TrkB increased in SPG-178-promoted neurite outgrowth of motor neurons in vitro. In vivo, SPG-178 increased expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and NGF, and decreased glial scar.

Conclusion: This study provides new evidence for the role of SPG-178 as a scaffold in the spinal cord and suggests that this peptide is a neuroprotective factor that may serve as an alternative treatment for neuronal injuries.

Level of evidence: 5.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Nagai Y, Yokoi H, Kaihara K, et al. The mechanical stimulation of cells in 3D culture within a self-assembling peptide hydrogel. Biomaterials 2012; 33:1044–1051.
    1. Jiang XY, Fu SL, Nie BM, et al. Methods for isolating highly-enriched embryonic spinal cord neurons: a comparison between enzymatic and mechanical dissociations. J Neurosci Methods 2006; 158:13–18.
    1. Ruff RL, McKerracher L, Selzer ME. Repair and neurorehabilitation strategies for spinal cord injury. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2008; 1142:1–20.
    1. Liesi P, Kauppila T. Induction of type IV collagen and other basement-membrane-associated proteins after spinal cord injury of the adult rat may participate in formation of the glial scar. Exp Neurol 2002; 173:31–45.
    1. He YY, Zhang XY, Yung WH, et al. Role of BDNF in central motor structures and motor diseases. Mol Neurobiol 2013; 48:783–793.

MeSH terms