Hong, Jin Young Kim, Su Hee Seo, Yoojin Jeon, Jooik Davaa, Ganchimeg Kim, Soo Hyun Hyun, Jung Keun 2024-01-19T12:31:45Z 2024-01-19T12:31:45Z 2022-04-14 2022-03 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/115545 Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to disruption of the blood-spinal cord barrier, hemorrhage, and tissue edema, which impair blood circulation and induce ischemia. Angiogenesis after SCI is an important step in the repair of damaged tissues, and the extent of angiogenesis strongly correlates with the neural regeneration. Various biomaterials have been developed to promote angiogenesis signaling pathways, and angiogenic self-assembling peptides are useful for producing diverse supramolecular structures with tunable functionality. RADA16 (Ac-RARADADARARADADA-NH2), which forms nanofiber networks under physiological conditions, is a self-assembling peptide that can provide mechanical support for tissue regeneration and reportedly has diverse roles in wound healing. In this study, we applied an injectable form of RADA16 with or without the neuropeptide substance P to the contused spinal cords of rats and examined angiogenesis within the damaged spinal cord and subsequent functional improvement. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that the inflammatory cell population in the lesion cavity was decreased, the vessel number and density around the damaged spinal cord were increased, and the levels of neurofilaments within the lesion cavity were increased in SCI rats that received RADA16 and RADA16 with substance P (rats in the RADA16/SP group). Moreover, real-time PCR analysis of damaged spinal cord tissues showed that IL-10 expression was increased and that locomotor function (as assessed by the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scale and the horizontal ladder test) was significantly improved in the RADA16/SP group compared to the control group. Our findings indicate that RADA16 modified with substance P effectively stimulates angiogenesis within the damaged spinal cord and is a candidate agent for promoting functional recovery post-SCI. English SAGE-Hindawi Access to Research Self-assembling peptide gels promote angiogenesis and functional recovery after spinal cord injury in rats Article 10.1177/20417314221086491 1 Journal of Tissue Engineering, v.13 Journal of Tissue Engineering 13 Y scie scopus 000773738600001 Cell & Tissue Engineering Cell Biology Article NEUROPEPTIDE SUBSTANCE-P TNF-ALPHA MACROPHAGES HYDROGEL REGENERATION INFLAMMATION NANOFIBER LOCOMOTOR ISCHEMIA Spinal cord injury self-assembling peptide substance P angiogenesis functional recovery