Development of Brain-Derived Bioscaffolds for Neural Progenitor Cell Culture and Delivery
Abstract
The use of brain extracellular matrix (ECM) as a biomaterial has the potential to promote neural tissue regeneration by providing cell-instructive cues that direct survival, proliferation, and differentiation. This study developed a novel detergent-free decellularization protocol that effectively reduced cellular content while preserving key ECM components in porcine and rat brains. The resulting decellularized brain tissue (DBT) was incorporated into microcarriers to assess its effects on the growth, phenotype and neurotrophic factor gene expression of rat brain-derived progenitor cells cultured within spinner flask bioreactors, using purified collagen microcarriers as a control. Both types of microcarriers supported cell expansion and survival, with robust expression of Olig1 and nestin observed after two weeks in culture, indicative of an oligodendrocyte precursor cell phenotype. Furthermore, culture on the DBT microcarriers enhanced the expression of glial-derived neurotrophic factor, highlighting the bioactive effects that can be harnessed within microcarrier scaffolds for applications in neural tissue engineering.