Jianwu Dai, Ph.D.
Professor and Director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology,
Chinese Academy of Sciences
jwdai@genetics.ac.cn
Biography:
Dr. Dai has completed his PhD from Duke University and postdoctoral studies from Harvard Medical School. He is now the director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology at Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has developed functional collagen scaffolds with growth factors and stem cell binding abilities which could actively induce a variety of tissue regeneration. He has published over 200 papers in reputed journals in the field of regenerative medicine and has been serving as an editorial board member of Biomaterials. He has pioneered several tissue regenerative clinical studies including spinal cord injury repair.
Topic title：Collagen scaffolds with stem cells for spinal cord injury repair: from animal models to clinical study
Abstract：Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating injury resulting in changes in the spinal cord's motor, sensory, or autonomic functions. Following SCI, an inhibitory environment develops at the injury site to inhibit neural regeneration. We have developed a functional biomaterial consisting of collagen scaffolds (NeuroRegen scaffolds) and biologically active molecules (neurotrophic factor or the antagonists to myelin-associated inhibitor), and stem cells to build a nerve regeneration microenvironment. Specifically, (1) the linear ordered collagen based NeuroRegen scaffold was developed to guide the neural regeneration along its fibers and decrease the formation of glial scars, (2) collagen binding neurotrophic factors were incorporated into the scaffolds to promote neuronal survival and neural fiber regeneration, (3) antagonists to myelin-associated inhibitors were added to the scaffold to direct the neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells at the injury site, (4) Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were also added to the scaffold to reduce the acute inflammatory response due to SCI. These strategies were found to promote neural regeneration and functional recovery in SCI animals. NeuroRegen scaffolds with stem cells are in the clinical study of spinal cord injury repair for over 3years with over 100 patients enrolled.