Bioengineered sequential growth factor delivery stimulates brain tissue regeneration after stroke.

Stroke is a leading cause of disability with no effective regenerative treatment. One promising strategy for achieving tissue repair involves the stimulation of endogenous neural stem/progenitor cells through sequential delivery of epidermal growth factor (EGF) followed by erythropoietin (EPO). Yet currently available delivery strategies such as intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion cause significant tissue damage. We designed a novel delivery system that circumvents the blood brain barrier and directly releases growth factors to the brain. Sequential release of the two growth factors is a key in eliciting tissue repair. To control release, we encapsulate pegylated EGF (EGF-PEG) in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles and EPO in biphasic microparticles comprised of a PLGA core and a poly(sebacic acid) coating. EGF-PEG and EPO polymeric particles are dispersed in a hyaluronan methylcellulose (HAMC) hydrogel which spatially confines the particles and attenuates the inflammatory response of brain tissue. Our composite-mediated, sequential delivery of EGF-PEG and EPO leads to tissue repair in a mouse stroke model and minimizes damage compared to ICV infusion.