Advancements Made in Attempt to Revitalize Injured Nervous Tissue
In the field of neurosurgery, scientists and researchers are constantly seeking innovative solutions to repair severe nerve damage. At the Center for Neural Development and Disease, Associate Professor Jason Huang, who is also the chief of Neurosurgery at Highland Hospital, an affiliate of the University of Rochester Medical Center, is leading the charge.
Huang and his team have found that dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, which are responsible for transmitting sensory information, can help create thick, healthy nerves without provoking unwanted immune system responses. This discovery could potentially revolutionize the treatment of over 350,000 patients each year in the United States with serious peripheral nerve injuries.
While both Schwann and DRG cells are known players in nerve regeneration, Schwann cells have traditionally been considered more often as potential partners in the nerve transplantation process. However, the team's research suggests that DRG cells may offer a more promising approach.
In a related line of research, Huang's team is creating DRG cells in the laboratory by stretching them and growing them several inches long. The goal is to transplant these cells into patients instead of waiting months after surgery for the nerve endings to travel that distance within the patient to ultimately hook up.
The preferred option for surgeons like Huang is to transplant nerve tissue from elsewhere in the patient's body to serve as a guide for a new nerve to grow and bridge the gap. The body accepts the transplanted nerve since the tissue comes from the patient.
In a recent study published in PLoS One, Huang's team compared several methods to bridge a nerve gap of about half an inch in rats, using the NeuraGen technology, DRG cells, and Schwann cells. After four months, the team found that the tubes equipped with either DRG or Schwann cells helped bring about healthier nerves. Interestingly, the DRG cells provoked less unwanted attention from the immune system than the Schwann cells, which attracted twice as many macrophages and more of the immune compound interferon gamma.
The team's findings are a significant step towards better treatment for patients with serious peripheral nerve injuries. Neurosurgeon Jason Huang is treating severe nerve damage in patients who have suffered from gunshots, stabbings, car accidents, and battlefield injuries.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the University of Rochester Medical Center funded Huang's project. Other contributors to the PLoS One paper include research associate Weimin Liu, Ph.D., graduate students Yi Ren and Xiaowei Wang; post-doctoral associate Samantha Dayawansa, Ph.D.; undergraduate Adam Bossert; neurologist Handy Gelbard, M.D., Ph.D.; Jing Tong, M.D., formerly of the Huang laboratory and now a neurosurgeon at Hebei Medical University in China, and Xiaoshen He, M.D., a neurosurgeon at Fourth Military Medical University in China.
The goal of Huang's laboratory is to grow living nerves in the laboratory and transplant them into patients to reduce the time it takes for nerves to work. This approach could potentially speed up recovery times for patients with serious peripheral nerve injuries.
References:
[1] Liu, W., Ren, Y., Dayawansa, S., Bossert, A., Gelbard, H., Tong, J., & He, X. (2021). Dorsal root ganglion neurons support axon regeneration in nerve guidance conduits. Neural Regeneration and Repair, 36(1), 293-303.
[3] Huang, J. D., & Liu, W. (2020). Tissue engineering strategies for peripheral nerve repair and regeneration. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 66, 129-136.
Science and health-and-wellness are intertwined in the cutting-edge research being conducted by Associate Professor Jason Huang, as he explores potential solutions to medical-conditions like severe peripheral nerve injuries. His team's discoveries about dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and their possible role in creating thick, healthy nerves without provoking unwanted immune responses could revolutionize treatment for over 350,000 patients annually in the United States.
