Tissue Engineering Paper: 3D astrocyte alignment increases neuron growth

Alignment of astrocytes increases neuronal growth in 3D collagen gels and is maintained following plastic compression to form a spinal cord repair conduit
We have published a paper showing that alignment of astrocytes in 3D culture makes them more permissive for neuron growth than unaligned cells. Astrocytes in the damaged central nervous system surround a lesion site and generate an environment that is inhibitory to neuronal growth. Using an advanced 3D culture system in which cellular alignment can be isolated, we have shown that neurons grow significantly further through an aligned cellular environment than an unaligned one. Furthermore, we have developed a system for engineering an implantable tissue substitute to deliver aligned astrocytes to a site of spinal cord injury. This engineered tissue supported neuronal growth in culture and has the potential to form the basis of a novel repair strategy for further investigation.

East, Blum de Oliveira, Golding and Phillips (2010), Tissue Engineering