Polymer promotes nerve growth

A potentially promising technique has been developed to encourage the regeneration of damaged central nervous system cells known as neurons.

The proposed technique would use a biodegradable polymer containing a chemical group that mimics the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to spur the growth of neurites, which are projections that form the connections among neurons and between neurons and other cells. The biomimetic polymers would then guide the growth of the regenerating nerve.

There is currently no treatment for recovering human nerve function after injury to the brain or spinal cord because central nervous system neurons have a very limited capability of self-repair and regeneration.

Chemical neurotransmitters relay, amplify and modulate signals between a neuron and another cell. This new technique proposes to integrate such neurotransmitters into biodegradable polymers, resulting in a biomaterial that successfully promotes neurite growth, which is necessary for victims of central nervous system injury.

Yadong Wang, assistant Prof in the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, and graduate student Christiane Gumera developed novel biodegradable polymers with a flexible backbone that allowed neurotransmitters to be easily added as a side chain. In its current form, the polymer would be implanted via surgery to repair damaged central nerves.