Biodegradable scaffold for stem cell therapy and drug delivery created

Scientists at the Rutgers University-New Brunswick have created a tiny, biodegradable inorganic nano-scaffold to transplant stem cells, and deliver proteins and drugs, which they hope could help treat diseases and injuries like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, aging brain degeneration, traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. These scaffolds copy natural tissue and have so far yielded positive results in test tubes and mice studies. They give hope for advanced stem cell transplantation and neural tissue engineering.
Senior author of the study, KiBum Lee, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, said: “It’s been a major challenge to develop a reliable therapeutic method for treating central nervous system diseases and injuries. Our enhanced stem cell transplantation approach is an innovative potential solution.”