Long research stay at ICORD Vancouver of Prof. Laura De Laporte to test Anisogel technology in rat spinal cord injury models.

• Applicant: Professorin Dr.-Ing. Laura De Laporte
• Subject Area: Biomaterials
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 566496672

This project applies for funding to enable a research visit of Prof. Laura De Laporte at ICORD, Vancouver for 6,5 months to perform in vivo studies using a rat spinal cord contusion injury (SCI) model. These studies are needed to further optimize and test the Anisogel technology for spinal cord repair. The Anisogel technology, patented at the DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, was tested in preliminary in vivo experiments at ICORD, showing encouraging results. However, we believe that the Anisogel needs to be further optimized as many neurites extended also around the gel, following the gel’s surface, while more neurite extension through the Anisogel would be needed for functional recovery. This can potentially be achieved by coupling more bioactive peptides, including more magneto-responsive rods, using faster degrading peptide crosslinkers, or possibly without a surrounding hydrogel but only by injecting bioactive magneto-responsive microgel rods. Injecting the microgels without a hydrogel precursor solution to gel around the aligned rods would provide larger pores to facilitate cell infiltration. In this case, we could inject a high concentration of rods that can be aligned and chemically interlinked to stabilize the biomaterial structure. The results achieved will be crucial to further develop and translate this technology into the clinic and help people who suffered from a SCI. They will also be of great interest for the spinal cord repair community.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Canada
• Cooperation Partners: Professorin Karen Cheung, Ph.D.; Professor John Madden, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Wolfram Tetzlaff, Ph.D.