UM’s Damien Pearse is working with the company Gel4Med on a new approach to treating spinal cord injury. The research focuses on a method of cell therapy using Gel4Med’s proprietary Smart Materials Platform to deliver Schwann cells to an injury site. Preliminary studies showed that combining Schwann cells with Gel4Med’s peptide matrices was beneficial for cell survival and growth.
Schwann cells are a type of nervous system cell that wrap around nerve fibers, or axons, to create the myelin sheath. “We are now looking at how to overcome limitations associated with Schwann cell transplantation while improving the cells’ ability to survive, integrate and repair the injured spinal cord, which is why our partnership with Gel4Med came to life,” says Pearse.
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