Abstract
The nervous system, which consists of a complex network of millions of neurons, is one of the most highly intricate systems in the body. This complex network is responsible for the physiological and cognitive functions of the human body. Following injuries or degenerative diseases, damage to the nervous system is overwhelming because of its complexity and its limited regeneration capacity. However, neural tissue engineering currently has some capacities for repairing nerve deficits and promoting neural regeneration, with more developments in the future. Nevertheless, controlling the guidance of stem cell proliferation and differentiation is a challenging step towards this goal. Nanomaterials have the potential for the guidance of the stem cells towards the neural lineage which can overcome the pitfalls of the classical methods since they provide a unique microenvironment that facilitates cell-matrix and cell-cell interaction, and they can manipulate the cell signaling mechanisms to control stem cells' fate. In this article, the suitable cell sources and microenvironment cues for neuronal tissue engineering were examined. Afterward, the nanomaterials that impact stem cell proliferation and differentiation towards neuronal lineage were reviewed.
Highlights
The nervous system regulates and controls body functions
It has been shown that the nanomaterials can activate the signaling pathways and transcription factors that are responsible for neural proliferation and differentiation (Khan et al 2018; Polak and Shefi 2015)
Several challenges should be overcome to utilized nanomaterials to solve critical clinical problems
Summary
The nervous system regulates and controls body functions. The nervous system consists of the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). We will highlight the effect of nanomaterials on proliferation differentiation, maturation, and cell fate for neural tissue engineering applications. Kumamaru et al reported the thriving method for differentiation and maintenance of the ESCs derived spinal cord neural Stem cells (NSCs) by activation of the WNT and FGF2/8 and dual inhibition of SMAD signaling pathways for corticospinal regeneration (Kumamaru et al 2018).
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