Fabricating Brain Tissue by growing Stem Cells on Coral Skeletons

The brain has a limited ability to recover from
injury; however, the discovery of stem cells that can
differentiate into neural cells neurons and glia -
creates conditions for generation of new cells to
replace the damaged tissue. We have developed a
method to facilitate achievement of this long
sought-after goal - cultivating stem cells on coral
skeleton adjacent to cultures of primary neural
cells. The coralline skeleton is a highly adhesive
porous scaffold made of crystalline aragonite and is
unique in its ability to nurture cells with calcium.
Growing stem cells on this scaffold in close
proximity to a layer of neural cells enhances these
cell's durability and differentiation to neural
lineages. The enhancement is due to the combination
of growth of the stem cells in three-dimensions,
their chemical interaction with the aragonite
crystals and their reaction to inducing factors
secreted by the primary neural cells. This novel
nervous tissue engineering strategy can significantly
contribute to our capability to promote regeneration
in the central nervous system following trauma,
stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.