(623c) A Comparative Study of the Effects of Specific Growth Factors and Extracellular Matrix Proteins on Neurite Outgrowth (Rapid Fire)

Nerve damage due to injury and disease is a significant problem affecting millions of people.  Current treatment options are limited and pose many problems, including low effectiveness and the possibility of infection.  New technologies are being developed which seek to build upon and enhance the body’s natural mechanisms of regeneration and repair. Tissue engineering is a relatively new field involving a wide range of applications, from engineering more robust tissues to stimulating healing of damaged tissues.  The focus of this work is on stimulating nerve growth in dorsal root ganglia neurons.  The effects of a combination of growth factors and extracellular matrix components on cellular development are analyzed in 2D and 3D culture conditions.  Specifically, the effects of nerve growth factor, fibronectin, osteopontin, tenascin R, and tenascin C, alone and in combination, are discussed in relation to neurite outgrowth in dissociated dorsal root ganglia neurons.  The goal is to determine conditions conducive to optimal nerve growth as measured by neurite length and density of proliferation as visualized by bright-field and fluorescence microscopy.