First System Of Human Nerve-cell Tissue Engineered

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have created the first three-dimensional neural network, a mini **nervous system in culture**, which can be transplanted en masse. The network of human nerve cells could be in future used for transplants to repair damaged nervous system. In previous work, researchers induced tracts of nerve fibers called axons to grow in response to mechanical tension. They placed neurons from rat dorsal root ganglia on nutrient-filled plastic plates and let them connect by **sprouting axons**. These cultures were then implanted into a rat model of spinal cord injury. After four weeks, all neurons survived transplantation and axons at the ends of the construct adjacent to the host tissue connected with the host tissue as a sort of **nervous tissue bridge**. #img_925#.<> *Human neurons that survived for months in culture stained by different neuron-specific stains. Bottom: Center region of an engineered human nervous tissue construct showing stretch-grown axon bundles. (University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine)* Source: "http://www.uphs.upenn.edu":[ http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases]

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