Neural Stem Cell Activation by bFGF-Chitosan Promotes Neurogenesis and Tissue Repair in Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe traumatic neurological disorder, accompanied by a significant loss of neurons. Cell replacement therapy, as an aggressive treatment strategy, can improve motor and sensory dysfunctions through the replacement of dead neurons. Endogenous neurogenesis is an important source for cell replacement; therefore, stimulating endogenous neurogenesis is a viable approach to treating SCI. In this study, we isolated neural stem cells (NSCs) from the spinal cords of neonatal rats and used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to trace the complete neurogenesis process under ex vivo culture conditions. Additionally, we utilized a self-developed bFGF sustained-release system (bFGF-Chitosan), which significantly enhanced NSCs proliferation in vitro, leading to the generation of more neurons. We then confirm the impact of bFGF-Chitosan in SCI and found that it effectively promotes neurogenesis, thereby supporting tissue repair. These findings indicate the presence of NSCs within the spinal cord with neurogenesis potential and demonstrate that bFGF-Chitosan can enhance neurogenesis, facilitating tissue repair in SCI.