A shear-thinning, ROS-scavenging hydrogel combined with dental pulp stem cells promotes spinal cord repair by inhibiting ferroptosis
Yibo Ying, Zhiyang Huang, Yurong Tu, Qiuji Wu, Zhaoyu Li, Yifan Zhang, Hui‐Lei Yu, Annian Zeng, Hanzhi Huang, Jiahui Ye, Weiyang Ying, Min Chen, Zhiyi Feng, Ziyue Xiang, Qingsong Ye, Sipin Zhu, Zhouguang Wang
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious clinical disease. Due to the deformability and fragility of the spinal cord, overly rigid hydrogels cannot be used to treat SCI. Hence, we used TPA and Laponite to develop a hydrogel with shear-thinning ability. This hydrogel exhibits good deformation, allowing it to match the physical properties of the spinal cord; additionally, this hydrogel scavenges ROS well, allowing it to inhibit the lipid peroxidation caused by ferroptosis. According to the in vivo studies, the [email protected] hydrogel could synergistically inhibit ferroptosis by improving vascular function and regulating iron metabolism. In addition, dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) were introduced into the [email protected] hydrogel to regulate the ratios of excitatory and inhibitory synapses. It was shown that this combination biomaterial effectively reduced muscle spasms and promoted recovery from SCI.