RESUMO
Despite extensive research on spinal cord injury (SCI) therapies for the recovery of motor, sensory and autonomic function, currently there are no effective treatments to completely restore tissue structure and function. In this work, a polylactic acid (PLA) fibrillar scaffold coated with pyrrole plasma polymer doped with iodine (pPPy/I), was studied as therapeutic strategy in a SCI transection model. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to evaluate tissue response to the implant. Behavioral analysis using the BBB open-field testing was conducted to evaluate functional response. MRI analysis showed the SCI model completely disrupted tissue continuity, and diffusion indices were altered at the injury site. The animals had completely paralyzed hindlimbs and bladder control loss after injury. After 8 weeks of treatment, in contrast to control and PLA-implanted animals, PLA+pPPy/I-implanted animal had regained bladder control autonomy and frequent to consistent weight supported plantar steps and occasional coordination between forelimbs and hindlimbs. These results suggest fibrillar scaffolds coated with pPPy/I constitute a promising therapy for SCI.
