153 7 Biomaterials and Nanotechnology for Tissue Engineering: Neural Regeneration Wei Chang, Munish Shah, Paul Lee, Rachel Rosa, Karen Kong, Matthew Kandl, and Xiaojun Yu CONTENTS 7.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 154 7.1.1 Function of the Central Nervous System and Peripheral Nervous System ....... 154 7.1.1.1 Central Nervous System ........................................................................ 154 7.1.1.2 Peripheral Nervous System ................................................................... 154 7.1.2 Biomaterials and Nanotechnology for Neural Regeneration .......................... 154 7.2 Neural Regeneration in the CNS ..................................................................................... 155 7.2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 155 7.2.2 Challenge ................................................................................................................ 155 7.2.2.1 Blood-Brain Barrier and Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier .......................... 155 7.2.2.2 The Role of Infammation in CNS Injury ............................................ 155 7.2.2.3 Glial Scar Limits Regeneration.............................................................. 156 7.2.3 Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration Treatment Strategies ..................... 156 7.2.4 Cell-Based Treatment for Tissue Engineering Strategies ................................. 156 7.2.4.1 NGCs for Cell-Based Treatment ............................................................ 156 7.2.4.2 Injectable Hydrogel for Cell-Based Treatment .................................... 157 7.2.5 Drug/Biological-Based Treatment for Tissue Engineering Strategies ........... 159 7.2.5.1 Injectable Hydrogel for Drug/Biological-Based Treatment .............. 160 7.2.5.2 NPs for Drug/Biological-Based Treatment ......................................... 162 7.2.6 Combination Treatment Strategies ...................................................................... 163 7.3 Neural Regeneration in the PNS...................................................................................... 163 7.3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 163 7.3.2 Current Gold Standard and Alternative............................................................. 164 7.3.3 Mechanism of Nerve Regeneration within NGC .............................................. 164 7.3.4 Tissue Engineering Strategies to Fabricate Conduits and Improve Regeneration ........................................................................................................... 164 7.3.4.1 Natural and Synthetic Materials ........................................................... 165 7.3.4.2 The Use of Structural Guidance Cues .................................................. 165 7.3.4.3 The Incorporation of Additives through Surface Modifcation ....... 166 Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................... 167 References..................................................................................................................................... 167 K26857_C007.indd 153 20-06-2016 08:40:55