PEG-SH-GNPs-SAPNS@miR-29a delivery system promotes neural regeneration and recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious disease characterized by hemorrhage, edema, local ischemia and hypoxia, inflammatory reaction, and degeneration of the injured spinal cord, which lacks effective clinical treatments. We design a PEG-SH-GNPs-SAPNS@miR-29a delivery system to repair impaired spinal cord by building a regenerative microenvironment for the recruitment of endogenous neural stem cells. The miR-29a, as an axonal regeneration-related miRNA that overexpression of miR-29a significantly inhibits the expression of PTEN and promotes axonal regeneration of the injured spinal cord. The gold nanoparticles and self-assembling peptide hydrogel composite scaffold (PEG-SH-GNPs-SAPNS@miR-29a delivery system) applied to deliver miR-29a, which recruit endogenous neural stem cells simultaneously. Sustained release of miR-29a and recruitment of endogenous neural stem cells give rise to favorable axonal regeneration and recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury. These findings suggest that the PEG-SH-GNPs-SAPNS@miR-29a delivery system may be an alternative strategy for the treatment of SCI.