Chapter 7 - Growth factor delivery for neural tissue engineering

Abstract

The nervous system (NS) is an important part of the body, and damage to it, whether caused by accident or disease, can have serious or even fatal implications. Regeneration of the NS is limited due to the complex structure and function of the system. Every cell in our body turns into a certain cell type (for example, muscle or nerve cell) at the end of cellular differentiation for a purpose. However, neurons are thought to lose their division properties. Currently, neural tissue engineering (NTE) approaches focus on developing strategies to repair the functional and biological properties of an injured or diseased tissue. Neural growth factors (NGFs) are the key components of NTE for neural development. In order to fully utilize the therapeutic effect of NGFs, delivery systems have been developed for providing localized delivery. The use of polymer-based biomaterials as delivery systems is the most successful strategy for controlled and effective delivery. For the controlled delivery of GFs, polymers of both synthetic and natural origins have been widely used as delivery vehicles. The ultimate goal is to perfectly replicate the extracellular matrix in our bodies and to efficiently induce nerve regeneration by using a variety of polymers, cells, and growth factors to elicit a combination of biochemical, topographical, and electrical cues. This book chapter highlights the current strategies and controlled release methods of growth factors to overcome the current limitations associated with GF therapies in NTE applications.