Biological and biomaterial engineering approaches for injured brain regeneration

Functional tissue regeneration after brain injury requires cell replacement for dead neurons and rebuilding neural networks. Since brain injury is not recovered spontaneously in general, breakthrough technologies have been awaited for neural replacement. To develop new techniques for neural replacement, our research team has examined the proliferation potency of neurons by biological approach and has used artificial scaffolds for neural replacement by biomaterial engineering approach. In this symposium, I introduce our approaches for neural replacement and discuss the remaining issues to be solved for functional brain regeneration.