Glycosaminoglycan purification and characterization: from pathophysiology to tissue engineering

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are linear polysaccharide chains which, with the excepton of Hyaluronan, are covalently linked to a core protein to assemble a more complex molecule called Proteoglycan (PG). GAGs/PGs are involved in several physiological and pathological processes being among the major consttuents of the Extracellular Matrix. Regarding their role in the Peripheral Nervous System, GAGs/PGs-mediated interactons partcipate in proliferaton, synaptogenesis, neural plastcity and regeneraton. Generally PNS nerve fbers have a remarkable ability to regenerate, leading to an almost complete recovery of normal functon and this process is governed by glial cells known as Schwann cells, by their unusual capacity to metamorphose into cells driving the healing process. However, postraumatc nerve repair contnues to be a major challenge in restoratve medicine and micro-surgery. Although progress has been made in surgical techniques, functonal recovery afer a severe lesion of a major nerve trunk is ofen incomplete and unsatsfactory. In this project I discuss the role of glycosamynoglycans in promotng the regeneraton processes in Schwann Cells seeded in electrospun scafolds functonalized with purifed GAGs from porcine aorta tssue. Results show that Schwann cells seeded in Polycaprolactone scafolds increase proliferaton and metabolic actvites per tme points and the levels of protein expression vary in cells seeded in functonalized scafolds.