Injection of SDF-1 loaded nanoparticles following traumatic brain injury stimulates neural stem cell recruitment

Recruiting neural stem cell (NSC) at the lesion site is essential for central nervous system repair. This process could be triggered by the local delivery of the chemokine SDF-1. We compared two PLGA formulations for local brain SDF-1 delivery: SDF-1 loaded microspheres (MS) and SDF-1 loaded nanoparticles (NP). Both formulations were able to encapsulate more than 80% of SDF-1 but presented different release profiles, with 100% of SDF-1 released after 6 days for the MS and with 25% of SDF-1 released after 2 weeks for NP. SDF-1 bioactivity was demonstrated by a chemotactic assay. When injected in mouse brain after traumatic brain injury, only SDF-1 nanoparticles induced NSC migration to the damage area. More neuroblasts (DCX+ cells) could be visualized around the lesions treated with NP SDF-1 compared to the other conditions. Rostral migratory stream destabilization with massive migration of DCX+ cell toward the perilesional area was observed 2 weeks after NP SDF-1 injection. Local injection of SDF-1-loaded nanoparticles induces recruitment of NSC and could be promising for brain injury lesion.

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