Development of a PTEN-siRNA activated scaffold to promote axonal regrowth following spinal cord injury

This study showcases the successful development of a <i>PTEN</i>-siRNA activated scaffold for SCI repair applications. Initially, siRNA was combined with the novel non-viral glycosaminoglycan-binding enhanced transduction (GET) peptide vector (image of GET vector from [22]). The formulated GET-siRNA nanoparticles effectively transfected primary neurons, a cell type generally considered challenging to transfect. Subsequently, siRNA-nanoparticles were incorporated into a hyaluronic acid scaffold enriched with neurotrophic extracellular matrix proteins (collagen IV and fibronectin) developed by our laboratory for spinal cord repair applications. Functionalisation of these scaffolds with <i>PTEN</i>-siRNA nanoparticles significantly enhanced their capacity to promote neurite outgrowth.Image 1.